D'Arcy Waldegrave: Sportstalk host on NZ Cricket's new partnership with North America's Major League Cricket

Embattled ventures into America in other sports aren't swaying New Zealand Cricket boss Scott Weenink's confidence in their new investment.

They've become the first national body in the code to invest in a franchise T20 league - taking a stake in an expansion team in North America's Major League Cricket.

Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Seventeen past five, Dusty Water gross Sports. I'm fine, thank you?

Speaker 2 (00:05):
How are you good? God? Now?

Speaker 1 (00:08):
Why why are you coming in so hot? Because you're
excited about this weekend? Aren't you like you were about
last weeyear?

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Yes? Yes, I work Saturday, so it's not really a
long weekend. But I have a long weekend by default anyway,
because I finished work at nine o'clock on Saturday morning,
come back at midday on Tuesdays, so this is a friday.
Is an addition, whether we kind of pause to do
some money and then back into the fray of doing nothing.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
Yes, isn't it lovely?

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Just like last weekend? I'll take it.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
What do you make of this cricket idea?

Speaker 2 (00:37):
They have to more than anything, They have to. I
think if you stand still and you watch the cricketing
world develop, and it is developing in a rush, in
a hurri The big money of TEA twenty franchise cricket
is swamping everything, and change is a foot. It's a
foot for bilateral series, for its national T twenties, for

(00:57):
Test series. But everything is changing.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
How does this US based T twenty comp work? Are
we going to have a team called New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
No, no, to be a part share in a franchise team.
It's is set up by a crew who set up
the Major League Cricket who also own a team over
there as well. So basically for a seven figure sum,
New Zealand Cricket are helping establish this team. They are
providing three assistant coaches and a head coach and some
players and a bit of intel around the game of cricket,

(01:28):
so they'll cast that check. They're also getting some they
call it sweat equity if they are going to buy
into the game too. So if it starts making a
whole lot of money.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
Teams, I mean, are they going to be geographically based
within the US? Are they going to be like the
Seattle team.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
Well, there's six teams already. It's already been running for
a year and a half a year and a bit,
so there's six teams already, and the owners and they'll
will filter players either Black Caps at that high level
or maybe some of our upcoming domestic players. They'll fill
them through that system. So therefore, a they get more money,

(02:04):
so it stops and running away so many times to
other big franchise leagues. And look, it helps them out
because they've they've got an option maybe for another team
in twenty thirty one if it works well.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
What if one of our black Caps decides that what
he wants to play in the in the T twenty
in the US, but for a competing team.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
I suppose he can. I think his Eland cricket had
been very very malleable when it comes to.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
What the plan is to be cutting our lunch potentially
because we own the opposite opposition.

Speaker 2 (02:31):
Team, but we create. And this is why this group
was interested in involving or engaging with the Zealand cricketers,
because we've got this nasty habit with a tiny population
to produce some crash hot cricketers. Yeah, really have. And
also there's a chance that maybe they might enter the
Big Bash. Our Super Smash has been very good as
far as developing in pathways, but maybe look towards working

(02:55):
with the Australians too. It's changing so fast. They've got
to sit They're not sit there. They've got to do something.
They've got to be involved. And look, Scott Wenning said,
we looked at our five year plan a year ago
and went, oh, we're running out of money. So they
started thinking what can we do? And I think that
Scott Wenning has been really good for New Zealand cricket.
They're not afraid of looking at ideas. They're not afraid

(03:16):
of juggling a few things and going well, what's actually
going to work? Because, as I said before, you sit
there on the sidelines and watch it go past you.
Suddenly the games in the distance, and you'll still sit
in there going.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
Does I haven't got a huge amount of time because
I really have to get to some other stuff, but
you tell me really quickly about Chiefie.

Speaker 2 (03:32):
Giancarlo Italiano has been signed for another year than option
for a second year after having a horrible year this season.
Great before that awful year. I'd like to call it
the Rob Penny contract because he had that year right
and now he's back and look what he's doing. So
let's hope that mister Italiano CHIEFI can actually work his

(03:57):
magic next season and not be second fiddle to the Aucklands.

Speaker 1 (04:01):
Love it given a chance. Hey, thank you very much
for a long with you two, mate, Really appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
Always.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
Darcy water Grave sports talk host. For more from Hither
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