New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has ended its partnership with US-based True North Sports Ventures (TNS), shelving plans to establish a Major League Cricket (MLC) franchise in 2027 as the board prioritises investment in domestic cricket and its high-performance programme.
New Zealand Captain Mitchell Santner has backed the decision, welcoming NZC’s focus on developing its own T20 competition, NZ20, which is scheduled to launch in December 2027.
The partnership, announced in April 2025, would have involved NZC providing high-performance and operational support to a proposed MLC franchise based in either Toronto or Atlanta.
NZC withdraws from Major League Cricket expansion plans
The decision ends NZC’s involvement in a venture that would have established a franchise in the North American competition, which currently features six teams representing Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Texas and Washington, D.C.
MLC has outlined ambitions to expand to 10 teams, but NZC has decided against proceeding with its proposed involvement.
NZC Chief Executive Officer Geoff Allott acknowledged the opportunities in the American cricket market while explaining the board’s decision to withdraw.
“There’s plenty of potential in the American market, however following further evaluation of the opportunity, we don’t think the timing is right for us to be taking this on,” Allott said in an official statement.
He added: “Our immediate priority is ensuring we continue to invest in strengthening cricket in New Zealand and refining the best possible high-performance environment for our players and teams.”
Allott also recognised the ambition behind the proposed partnership and expressed appreciation to TNS and MLC Co-Founders Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan for their cooperation.
NZC confirmed that it had committed no capital to the venture and would have no continuing investment or involvement.
Mitchell Santner backs NZC’s domestic T20 investment
Santner supported NZC’s decision to concentrate its resources on opportunities within New Zealand rather than pursuing the MLC franchise project.
“You can’t do everything, and it’s going to be a solid investment in both,” Santner told reporters.
He added: “For them to try back a home soil competition is cool. If that gets it off the ground, that’s what we want.”
NZC’s proposed NZ20 competition, which will feature men’s and women’s tournaments and involve overseas players, was initially targeted for January 2027 before its launch was pushed back to December 2027.
NZ20 could expand opportunities for domestic players
Santner believes the proposed competition could give New Zealand cricketers greater visibility while attracting international talent and investment.
“It’s going to benefit more so domestic players as well to show their talent on a major stage. Obviously overseas players coming in get more backing by some big teams and investors,” he explained.
Santner also highlighted how greater exposure could help domestic players secure opportunities in overseas franchise competitions.
The New Zealand Captain pointed to the value of international franchise experience, noting that playing in different conditions can strengthen players’ performances when they return to international cricket.
“It’s going to be better; everyone’s going to be better for it. And even guys like Tim Seifert, who have gone away, have played all over the world and come back a very, very good player. The same is with Finn Allen, so there are two good sides of it,” Santner observed.
NZC leaves door open
Although the partnership has ended, NZC has indicated that it intends to maintain communication with the parties involved.
“We wish them all the best for the future of MLC and have pledged to keep the lines of communication open,” Allott noted.
The mutual agreement allows NZC to concentrate on its domestic priorities without any continuing financial commitment to the proposed North American franchise.
