Auckland, March 23 (NationPress) New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has opted to pursue the proposed NZ20 franchise league as its primary choice for a domestic T20 competition, aiming to rejuvenate its 21-year-old Super Smash tournament.

The NZC Board has reached an initial agreement to back the creation of this new league, pending the successful resolution of crucial commercial, structural, and governance matters.

"While this is not a definitive commitment, the decision enables NZC to concentrate its efforts on advancing dialogues regarding a potential license and a formal commercial agreement with the NZ20 league," the Board stated.

Diana Puketapu-Lyndon, chair of the NZC Board, emphasized that designating NZ20 as the top choice is a significant milestone in a process that thoughtfully examined the advantages and disadvantages of the two main alternatives. She noted that the board engaged in extensive discussions regarding the potential expansion into Australia's WBBL versus the NZ20 concept, tackling all central issues involved.

"There were detailed dialogues about the potential of these proposals, but the Board determined that this is the perfect time to refresh our 21-year-old Super Smash competition. This conclusion followed extensive consultation, particularly within our cricket community, and careful evaluation of a variety of data and advice, including insights from the Deloitte Report. The forthcoming steps involve collaborating with NZ20 to finalize terms and garner support from our members.”

Several modifications to the initial NZ20 proposal had to be negotiated before reaching a final decision. "Specifically, we aim to collaborate with NZ20 to ensure it encompasses and uplifts the women’s domestic T20 competition, maintaining a level of visibility that aligns with NZC’s strategic commitment to women's cricket. Ensuring regional representation of NZ20 teams is crucial so that fans and young aspiring cricketers can witness their heroes in action. The Board is also focused on ownership and control aspects, including equity in the league," she added.

Puketapu-Lyndon highlighted the global significance of the NZC brand, further strengthened by the impressive achievements of its national teams in ICC events. The White Ferns currently hold the title of T20 World Cup Champions, and the BLACKCAPS were recent finalists in the men's tournament.

"This is an exhilarating time for cricket in New Zealand,” Puketapu-Lyndon stated. “We owe it to our community to negotiate an outcome that prioritizes the best interests of the game here—and we are optimistic about the direction we are heading toward."