Just like India’s IPL and Pakistan’s PSL, New Zealand Cricket is joining other major cricket boards by launching its own franchise based T20 league called ‘NZ20’.
The board decided to make this new league a top priority in their domestic schedule to help New Zealand become stronger in T20 cricket. This move is designed to secure the future of the sport in the country and give young, local players a great chance to grow and succeed.
For over 20 years, New Zealand has hosted the Super Smash tournament. However, with the massive success of leagues like the IPL, PSL, the NZC feels it is time for a change.
The board’s chairperson Diana Puketapu-Lyndon explained that they carefully considered on starting their own league. They chose to launch ‘NZ20’ to keep their local identity while giving New Zealand cricket a fresh, modern look.
Chairperson Diana Puketapu-Lyndon said this is an exciting time for cricket in New Zealand. The board’s goal is to do what is best for the sport’s future in the country.
They believe the NZ20 league will help the board become financially independent. Most importantly, it will give young cricketers a world class stage to show off their talent and skills.
A formal decision hasn’t been made yet, but the board’s main goal right now is getting the official licenses for NZ20.
After studying a report by Deloitte and talking to experts, the board realized that New Zealand cricket is now a strong global brand. This is especially true because the women’s team won the T20 World Cup and the men’s team has been performing consistently well in all formats. Because of this success, the world is paying more attention to New Zealand cricket than ever before.
