New Zealand Cricket and TNS Agree to End Partnership

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and US-based sports investment firm True North Sports Ventures (TNS) have mutually agreed to terminate their partnership, halting plans to jointly launch a Major League Cricket (MLC) franchise in the United States by 2027.

The original agreement, struck in April 2025, envisioned NZC providing technical, high-performance, and operational support to TNS to establish an expansion franchise in the American T20 market.

Sharing how the decision reflects a disciplined strategy centered on domestic consolidation, CEO of New Zealand Cricket, Geoff Allott, said: “Firstly, I want to say that I admire the endeavour and aspiration behind the partnership with TNS.”

“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.

“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.

“I want to thank TNS and MLC co-founders Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan for allowing us to explore the opportunity and their support in coming to this mutual agreement.

“We wish them all the best for the future of MLC and have pledged to keep the lines of communication open,” Allott said.

Following a review, NZC leadership determined that expanding international operations risked diverting administrative focus and technical resources from its core domestic initiatives.

NZC confirmed that no capital was invested during the exploratory phase and that the organization retains no financial liabilities or ongoing equity commitments.

Domestic Focus and Strategic Realignment

The termination allows NZC to reallocate technical and high-performance resources toward strengthening its domestic ecosystem, including the development of new domestic T20 properties and national team high-performance pathways.

The dissolution of the venture highlights the challenges national governing bodies face when balancing international brand expansion with domestic high-performance investments within a crowded global T20 calendar.

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