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Full Noise by SN
EXCLUSIVE: Leaked letter reveals NZ Players' stance in NZ20 vs Big Bash standoff
Alex Chapman • March 13th, 2026 5:00 am
Photo: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Members of the New Zealand Cricket Players Association insist they’re “overwhelmingly supportive” of establishing the NZ20 competition and will “not support the proposal for one New Zealand team” in the Big Bash competitions.
In a nine-page letter seen by Sport Nation, and dated February 26, the NZCPA - as a signatory and key stakeholder to the current Master Agreement - outlines its stance regarding domestic T20 cricket in New Zealand, which it says has been undertaken over an 18-month period.
Sport Nation understands the letter was written after the New Zealand Cricket board last month approached the NZCPA for a formalised position on the future of domestic T20 in this country.
Last month, members of the NZ20 consortium, and representatives of the Big Bash League and Cricket Australia presented separately to the NZ Cricket Board.
Daryl Mitchell on why New Zealand needs the proposed NZ20 franchise competition | Mornings
It’s believed the BBL proposal is centred around one New Zealand team, based in Auckland, entering the competition in 2028.
As more details of both proposals have come to light though, it’s understood the NZC board favour the NZ20 proposal, however NZC denied Sport Nation's reporting that was the case.
Deloitte, who were tasked with conducting a review examining various options for revitalising T20 cricket in New Zealand, have reportedly delivered their findings to the NZC Board - included in the review parameters were several options: private ownership, a revamped Super Smash, and entering a New Zealand team into Australia’s BBL.
The review appears to stop short of a full recommendation for the future model but presents an analysis of all options presented and being discussed, with key stakeholder feedback, such as the letter from the NZCPA, to also be factors in the Board’s final decision.
The executive summary of the letter states that the NZCPA “has undertaken extensive consultation with its membership regarding the proposal for New Zealand Cricket to enter one New Zealand based team into the Big Bash League and the Women’s Big Bash League as opposed to establishing NZ20 - a New Zealand-based privatised T20 franchise competition”.
It goes on to say that it’s “fundamentally a choice between: Minority participation in another country’s cricket asset, or creation of our own nationally anchored asset platform.”
Stephen Fleming on the NZ20 decision delay | Mornings w/Ric & Chappy
Sport Nation has previously revealed, and the letter confirms, that players are currently looking at and have offers in front of them for alternative domestic T20 competitions, which could see as many as 10 players opt out of central contracts, should the NZ20 competition not proceed.
The NZCPA emphasises that its position “isn’t based on short-term financial comparison or individual playing opportunity” and that it’s “based on long-term strategic assessment” before outlining what it believes are eight key benefits that the NZ20 competition would have “which the Big Bash proposal cannot offer.”
Among them is:
- Maintaining NZC’s institutional independence and global relevance.
- Increase fan engagement across the country.
- Encourage third-party investment in cricket facilities across the country and the broader New Zealand economy.
- Provide multiple development pathways and global cricket connectivity for players, coaches, support staff and administrators from across the country – through international franchise team owners operating in New Zealand.
- Deliver 150+ high quality playing opportunities (across men’s and women’s competitions) across the country.
- Enhance player retention through supplementary contract earnings in NZ20.
- Encourage our best players (and other international stars) to play in NZ in January (with associated fan engagement, broadcast partner and commercial partner benefits).
- Enable NZC to redeploy up to $5m per annum currently spent on the Super Smash competitions.
An 11-item “strategic comparison” between the two competitions outlines why, as the letter puts it, “the BBL proposal is a vastly inferior option to NZ20” and that the NZCPA “accordingly will not support it.”
Among the reasons for why the Players Association doesn’t back the BBL is that it only “benefits a small cohort”, involving “15 per gender” for playing opportunities, and the NZ-based side would be a “minority participant in competition owned by Cricket Australia” which is “locked into CA calendar and governance".
Heath Mills will join Sport Nation Mornings with Ric and Chappy this Friday at 10:15am to discuss the situation further.
Sumo on why NZ20 could have enormous merit | Scotty & Izzy
