NZ20 v Big Bash: New Zealand Cricket board poised for crunch Twenty20 league vote

But while there are four potential avenues to take, the Herald understands the game’s custodians are weighing up only two.

The first would see the formation of a privately-backed franchise competition set up and run independently in New Zealand, known as NZ20. The second would see a New Zealand-based entity admitted into Australia’s Big Bash League.

The board will meet on Monday to discuss Deloitte’s findings, before deciding which avenue to take. The Herald understands that, if a vote was to eventuate, the board is believed to be 6-2 in favour of the NZ20 competition.

As well as most of the board, who have two members sit on the NZ20 establishing committee, the New Zealand Cricket Players Association (NZCPA) and the six Major Associations do not support entering a team into the Big Bash League.

Should the board vote be split at 4-4, the casting vote would fall on board chair Diana Puketapu-Lyndon.

If NZ20 is voted down, and with a Big Bash entry not possible until 2028 at the earliest, the Herald understands NZC would face a player exodus, in order for New Zealand’s best and brightest to take up lucrative deals in overseas leagues played in January, rather than return to the current tournament – the Super Smash.

Potentially standing in the way, though, is the influence of former NZC chief executive Scott Weenink.

Weenink departed NZC at the end of 2025 citing “a different view from several Member Associations, and the NZCPA, on the future priorities for NZC, including the long-term direction of the game and the best role for T20 cricket in New Zealand”.

It is widely understood that Weenink’s preferred option for T20 in New Zealand was the Big Bash League entry.

A source, who did not want to be identified, told the Herald steps were being taken to disrupt NZ20 in any way, shape or form.

As first reported by the Herald, NZ20’s proposed launch of January 2027 would clash with Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand.

It is common for forecast tour dates in line with the ICC’s Future Tours Programme to be moved and reshaped to suit both participating nations.

But it was only as recently as last month that NZC’s executive negotiated and provided proposed dates for the Sri Lankan tour. The proposed schedule indicated the tour would start in the middle of January 2027.

This was viewed as a deliberate attempt to undermine NZ20 by NZC’s executive which, as reported by the Herald earlier this week, remains fiercely loyal to Weenink.

However, NZC told the Herald in a statement that “any suggestion this series was deliberately placed to obstruct a potential NZ20 start date is demonstrably incorrect”.

“Contrary to suggestions of NZC executive interference or attempts to destabilise the process, there has been no such activity.

“Progress on the Deloitte review has in fact been rapid – we’re ahead of the original agreed timelines and the executive has actively supported and facilitated the work to ensure it moves forward efficiently.”

At the time of the scheduling, the NZC board was awaiting the Deloitte report and encouraging NZ20 officials to press on with plans to stand up the new competition for January 2027. The announcement of the proposed schedule meant NZ20 could not take place in its proposed window.

If the NZC board decided to go with NZ20, six international white-ball fixtures would need to be rescheduled, disrupting NZC’s new broadcast deal with Sky TV.

Instead, the Black Caps’ series with Sri Lanka has been placed in January to accommodate both sides’ World Test Championship commitments against Pakistan and South Africa following the tour, the NZC spokesperson said.

In December, 15 former New Zealand internationals penned an open letter to the NZ20 establishment committee, weighing in against the tournament and in support of Weenink.

The letter accused the NZ20 backers of not engaging in the independent Deloitte process, destabilising NZC, and waging a “covert campaign” with the Major Associations.

The letter was not sent to any of its named recipients, Don Mackinnon, Stephen Fleming, Heath Mills, David Howman and the NZ20 consortium.

A source told the Herald that the letter was only ever intended to be sent to media as a means of delegitimising NZ20.

Mackinnon, the establishment committee chair, denied a number of accusations in the letter, pointing to the two members of the NZC board involved in NZ20 in order to refute any rebel status and citing the open co-operation with Deloitte.

It is also understood that a media campaign was instigated in late 2025 to see NZ20 painted as a “rebel league”, without the backing of NZC.

So damaging were those reports, Puketapu-Lyndon, the board chair, was forced to send a letter to the International Cricket Council chair to dismiss claims of a “hostile takeover”.

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