In a landmark move, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) will be part of the newest Major League Cricket franchise, to be introduced in 2027.
NZC to operate MLC franchise from 2027
On Thursday (April 24), New Zealand Cricket issued a press release reading: "New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has agreed terms with US-based company True North Sports Ventures (TNS) to launch a new Major League Cricket (MLC) franchise, set to debut in the 2027 season.
"The first-of-its-kind agreement between a full member of the ICC and a franchise in a leading professional cricket league will see NZC provide high-performance and operational support, including coaching, management, and support staff, as well as integrating the franchise into NZC’s domestic high-performance ecosystem.
"In the second phase of development, NZC will offer expertise in cricket infrastructure and turf management. Additionally, NZC has become a foundation investor in TNS, with the ability to make a more substantial equity investment before the end of 2025."
NZC's investement in an overseas franchise team marks a first in world cricket, as no other cricketing board has taken such a step. The board's statement adds that TNS is majority-owned by MLC co-founders Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan, who also co-founded the cricket streaming platform Willow TV.
This move comes just a day after England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chair Richard Gould said there are "not more than four or five or perhaps six boards that are actually financially sustainable based on their own domestic cricket markets." Until earlier this year, the ECB themselves had held a 49 per cent stake in each of The Hundred franchises, which have now been sold to various bidders including owners of IPL franchises.
Interestingly, the news about NZC's investment has also come one day after Lancashire CEO Daniel Gidney's proposal that the ECB should offer stakes in The Hundred to the BCCI, for the possibility of attracting India's male cricketers to play in the league.
NZC CEO: North America is an incredibly lucrative sports market
"We saw this as an opportunity to build on international cricket by bringing our international expertise into a domestic franchise arrangement," said NZC CEO Scott Weenink on the partnership. "We believe they can both co-exist so it's about how to best manage the two types of cricket.
"The North American market is the most lucrative sports market in the world. We're trying to grow our brand and trademarks for both our players and New Zealand cricket in India. We see this as an opportunity to also do it in North America, where it is such an incredibly lucrative sports market."
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