Tom Latham, the Test captain of New Zealand, thinks the NZ20, the nation’s first proposed T20 franchise league, is a great idea that will greatly improve cricket in the country.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has not yet formally approved the NZ20 concept, but preparations are underway to start a six-team men’s competition in January 2027, followed by a women’s version later that year. The Super Smash, the current domestic T20 competition in New Zealand, will be replaced by the NZ20 when it is implemented.
“I believe that’s a fantastic proposal, and you should consider the NZ20 potential. I believe we are the only Test-playing country without a franchise tournament when you consider how cricket is evolving globally. However, having international players to raise the bar for cricket in New Zealand will be extremely helpful to the nation. I believe that cricket is played at a very high level here, and that the Super Smash has so far produced some excellent players for us. However, I believe that advancing the sport in New Zealand will only benefit cricket in our country,” Tom Latham stated, as cited by ESPNcricinfo.
Discussions spearheaded by former New Zealand players, such as Stephen Fleming, who collaborated with the New Zealand Players Association (NZPA) to determine whether a franchise-based league would be feasible in the nation, gave rise to the proposed tournament.
The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) structure is anticipated to be followed by the tournament model, which will look to private investment as one of its main funding sources.
Tom Latham said he was hopeful the competition would eventually take off.
“Definitely optimistic. You will undoubtedly speak with many of the guys that will be in the same camp, and I would really like to see it happen. Many of the boys have played franchise cricket all over the world these days, and they’ve had the opportunity to interact with players from other countries who have had successful international careers but still play franchise cricket, according to Tom Latham.
It will be extremely helpful for the younger generation coming up here in New Zealand as well as the boys who play cricket for the country to learn from people like those. Many men who play franchise cricket around the world tell you they had a great time and learn a lot from various players and situations. So, as I mentioned before, it’s a fantastic project that should succeed,” Tom Latham continued.
Although Latham hasn’t participated in any major T20 franchise league worldwide, he did play for the Birmingham Bears in the Vitality Blast earlier this year during the English summer, which falls during New Zealand’s off-season. However, a number of elite New Zealand players prefer playing in international T20 franchise competitions like the BBL, SA20, and ILT20 over the Super Smash at home during the summer.
“To promote cricket in New Zealand, I would much rather see our own competition where we are utilising all of our talent to the fullest extent possible. And I believe there’s a great chance to achieve that,” Tom Latham said.
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