New Zealand Cricket wants to gatecrash the international Twenty20 party.
Kiwi cricket chief Justin Vaughan has held preliminary talks over a New Zealand presence in the proposed Champions Twenty20 League.
Vaughan will look to piggy-back on Cricket Australia's move into the BCCI's counter-attack to the rebel Indian Cricket League.
The sub-continent's governing body launched the competition, scheduled for a 2008/09 debut, in response to this year's breakaway league.
Vaughan said: ‘We have had preliminary talks with Cricket Australia about establishing a trans-Tasman league which will feed into subsequent global championships.’
The format proposed by NZC is thought to be an NRL or Super 14 model.
Either the national team, New Zealand franchises, leading provinces or North and South Island sides will enter into an Australian-dominated competition.
Cricket Australia had indicated that two qualifiers from its domestic Big Bash competition would grab the two tickets to India but Vaughan wants New Zealand teams to enter into a pan-Australasian qualifying tournament.
Vaughan said: ‘Both New Zealand Cricket and Cricket Australia are interested in exploring this potential further with the possibility of a trans-Tasman league starting as early as the 2008/09 cricket season.
‘The two top teams from this league would then progress to the Champions Twenty20 tournament to play teams from Indian, African and European leagues.
‘Unlike the proposed rebel Indian Cricket League, the Indian Premier League and Champions Twenty20 Tournament will give priority to international cricket commitments.
‘The concept is a very exciting development and has the full support of NZC.’
The Champions Twenty20 League concept received the backing of former New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming who appeared at the launch function in New Delhi with Australian legends Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.
