{"id":536096,"date":"2026-03-12T18:45:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T18:45:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/536096\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T18:45:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T18:45:12","slug":"nz20-departing-players-boss-heath-mills-hopes-for-t20-resolution-as-new-zealand-cricket-mulls-future-direction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/536096\/","title":{"rendered":"NZ20: Departing players\u2019 boss Heath Mills hopes for T20 resolution as New Zealand Cricket mulls future direction"},"content":{"rendered":"

However, as revealed by the Herald last month, further delays to the process carry serious risk \u2013 with a number of Black Caps considering not signing central contracts<\/a> and instead taking up overseas deals because of the lack of clarity for the upcoming home season.<\/p>\n

As chief executive of the New Zealand Cricket Players Association (NZCPA), the organisation representing a collective of past and former players, Mills makes no bones over which way he leans.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Black Caps made the final of the recent T20 World Cup in India. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n

The NZCPA is a staunch backer of the NZ20<\/a>, with several of the Black Caps and White Ferns having played in privately-owned overseas franchise leagues, seeing the benefits, and wanting the game in Aotearoa to enjoy similar windfalls.<\/p>\n

While, if successful, Mills would not be involved operationally in NZ20, he has been its biggest champion through its inception and presentation to the powers that be.<\/p>\n

That, then, makes the timing of his exit<\/a> all the more curious. Having helmed the NZCPA for more than two decades, Mills will take on a more significant role with the World Cricketers Association, as well as with advisory business Strata Collective. <\/p>\n

But speaking after going public with his resignation, Mills outlined that leaving the NZCPA was nothing to do with his involvement in NZ20.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s simply not right to compare those two things, I\u2019ll be unequivocal about that,\u201d Mills told the Herald.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope NZC will find a way to support NZ20. From a personal point of view, I don\u2019t see any reason why someone would question that, if they understood the global cricketing environment and changes happening in our sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not for us to make the decision, NZC have asked us to prepare a position paper. We did that and sent it to them. They\u2019re well aware of the players\u2019 collective views.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just hope they find a way to make a good decision in the coming weeks. Whatever decision they make is the decision we\u2019ll all have to live with.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut from my point of view, and the players\u2019 point of view, there\u2019s no question in my mind that NZ20 is the right answer for our game and will help cricket thrive across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aside from Mills and the NZCPA, the NZ20\u2019s establishing committee is being chaired by renowned lawyer Don Mackinnon<\/a>, which is also backed by former Black Caps captains Stephen Fleming and Daniel Vettori.<\/p>\n

All six of NZC\u2019s Major Associations \u2013 Auckland, Northern Districts, Wellington, Central Districts, Canterbury and Otago \u2013 are also on board, with the Big Bash alternative likely to decimate their status as T20 sides.<\/p>\n

\"NewNew Zealand batter Finn Allen celebrates with Rachin Ravindra after scoring 100 runs as the Black Caps qualified for the final at the T20 World Cup. Photo \/ Shubhajit Roy Karmakar<\/p>\n

However, the ball rests firmly in NZC\u2019s court. The board is expected to finalise a decision over the future direction in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

The NZ20 would see private money come into New Zealand and hope to attract players from around the world to one of six Kiwi franchises, to play at the peak of the summer, as early as January 2027.<\/p>\n

As one of the main benefits of the league, the NZ20 would give players an opportunity to ply their trade in their own country.<\/p>\n

The Black Caps\u2019 two standouts in their run to the final of this month\u2019s T20 World Cup final, Finn Allen and Tim Seifert<\/a>, are both effectively freelancers after handing back NZC central contracts to take up franchise opportunities overseas.<\/p>\n

Allen in particular has been vocal in expressing that freelance life isn\u2019t about money, it\u2019s about earning a chance to improve, playing with and against the best players possible.<\/p>\n

And at the very least, while NZC might have already lost the likes of Allen and Seifert, the NZ20 would help keep the next generation playing in front of Kiwi fans.<\/p>\n

All that remains is for NZC to make the decision over what competition it wants its best and brightest playing in.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe players are as frustrated as anyone with the time it\u2019s taking,\u201d Mills added. \u201cNZ Cricket have undertaken a process with Deloitte. We need to be respectful of that.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to remember, we have a huge responsibility to the game and to the people we represent. We have a responsibility to ensure the Major Associations and cricket in New Zealand is thriving.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlayers want to see fans engaged in the sport. We know it\u2019s an important decision to make. But it didn\u2019t take us long, knowing what we know about the world game, to work out this is the right answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe appreciate NZ Cricket has a lot of stakeholders, there may be different views within that. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey have to work their way through a process, we just hope it\u2019s coming to a conclusion soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alex Powell<\/a> is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"However, as revealed by the Herald last month, further delays to the process carry serious risk \u2013 with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":536097,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[564],"tags":[10960,25103,64,63,3199,2685,740,265911,258448,46800,16914,21695,580,21503,1862,40005,137117,265909,265910,3127,176872,8936,7820,134619,89568,3206,85,23287,47567,3205],"class_list":["post-536096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cricket","tag-as","tag-association","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-boss","tag-chief","tag-cricket","tag-depart","tag-departing","tag-direction","tag-domestic","tag-executive","tag-for","tag-future","tag-game","tag-heath","tag-hopes","tag-mills","tag-mulls","tag-new","tag-nz20","tag-over","tag-players","tag-prepares","tag-resolution","tag-role","tag-sports","tag-t20","tag-twenty20","tag-zealand"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=536096"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536096\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/536097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=536096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=536096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=536096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}