3 min readUpdated: Mar 23, 2026 02:23 PM IST
Hours after the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) board announced a major decision to initiate proceedings for their first franchise-based T20 league, a former New Zealand captain stepped down from the national cricket board on Monday.
With a year of planning going into the decision, the NZC agreed in principle to support the initiative launched by the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association (NZCPA) for a franchise-based T20 tournament in the country. The move had also found the backing of the six Major Associations – Auckland, Northern Districts, Wellington, Central Districts, Canterbury and Otago.
The proposed T20 league would then “revitalise” the Super Smash, currently the premier T20 tournament played in New Zealand by the associations. However, fallouts emerging from the decision also meant former Kiwi skipper, Dion Nash, exited the national board on Monday.
New T20 model
The pitch for a rejig of the T20 tournament over the past year had seen a variety of options, including the proposal of fielding a New Zealand team in Australia’s premier T20 tournament, the Big Bash League (BBL), before the NZC board announced a fresh direction on Monday.
NZC Board chair Diana Puketapu-Lyndon said recognising the franchise model was a significant step.
“There was extensive discussion on the merits of these proposals, but the Board concluded that now’s the right time to revitalise our 21-year-old Super Smash competition,” she said in a statement released by the New Zealand cricket board.
“This followed broad consultation, particularly within our cricket network, and careful consideration of a wide range of information and advice, including the Deloitte Report. The next steps include working with NZ20 to agree terms and seeking support from our members.”
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The men’s Super Smash was established in the 2005-06 season, while the women’s competition was started two years later in 2007-08.
Nash’s exit another fallout
The differences within the board were highlighted once again with Nash, who won over 100 international caps, opted to quit the board hours after the NZ20 announcement. “Ultimately, I reached a point where I felt it was the right time to step aside,” Nash, who was appointed in 2024, was quoted as saying by RNZ.
Puketapu-Lyndon appreciated Nash for his term on the Board. “We thank Dion for his dedicated service and valuable contributions,” said Puketapu-Lyndon. “We wish him well in his future endeavours.”
A similar flashpoint over the future of New Zealand’s T20 cricket during his time had resulted in former chief executive Scott Weenick’s resignation from NZC last December.
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“After careful consideration, it has become clear that I hold a different view from several Member Associations, and the NZCPA, on the future priorities for NZC, including the long-term direction of the game and the best role for T20 cricket in New Zealand,” Weenick had said at the time.
