New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has thrown his full backing behind New Zealand Cricket’s decision to scrap plans to purchase a franchise in the United States-based Major League Cricket. The national cricket board confirmed it has officially terminated its partnership with True North Sports Ventures, abandoning an ambition to establish a team in either Atlanta or Toronto ahead of the 2027 MLC campaign.
- Franchise Plan Scrapped: New Zealand Cricket terminated its 2025 agreement with True North Sports Ventures to acquire an MLC franchise.
- Prioritizing Home Soil: The board has shifted its full focus and financial resources toward its proposed domestic T20 league, NZ20.
- Santner’s Endorsement: White-ball skipper Mitchell Santner praised the move, emphasizing the importance of backing local talent and domestic tournaments.
- Tournament Expansion: MLC currently features six franchises and plans to grow to ten, but New Zealand will not field a team.
Focus Shifts to Domestic T20 League
Explaining the strategic move, Santner acknowledged that maintaining investments across multiple international competitions was unsustainable. NZC previously announced plans to launch its flagship men’s and women’s competition, NZ20, which was rescheduled to debut in December 2027 rather than January 2027. Santner highlighted that investing heavily in a homegrown league offers greater long-term advantages for the health of Kiwi cricket than fielding an offshore team.
According to the skipper, building a premier tournament in New Zealand will create opportunities for domestic players to perform on a high-profile stage alongside visiting global stars. He noted that drawing foreign talent and substantial commercial investment will help elevate the domestic ecosystem, allowing unheralded local players to gain visibility and secure lucrative contracts in overseas leagues later on.
Balancing Global Experience and Domestic Strength
While supporting the board’s decision to focus funds domestically, Santner also underscored the value of New Zealand players freelancing in foreign competitions. Pointing to teammates such as Tim Seifert and Finn Allen, he stated that participating in global tournaments broadens skill sets and significantly benefits the national side when competing overseas.
Major League Cricket currently operates with six teams based in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Texas, and Washington, D.C. Despite the American competition targeting a 10-team future, New Zealand Cricket will instead concentrate resources on its domestic growth.
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