Cricket: Consultant's report to get ball rolling on franchising of regions

Chris Moller says the franchising idea will need work. Photo / NZPA

Anyone waiting for a puff of white smoke from New Zealand Cricket on the future franchising of the major associations should not be holding their breath.

Although there has been plenty of speculation over introducing a franchise model for at least the HRV Cup T20 arm of the game - leaving major associations to focus on all other elements of their operation - or the entire senior playing level across all three forms of the game, NZC chairman Chris Moller says any announcement is some time away.

Anthony Crummer, who worked on the Rugby World Cup 2011 organisation, has been appointed project manager to produce a report for the board.

His job encompasses investigating opportunities, discussing with the six major associations their views on franchising, working through advantages and disadvantages and the options in terms of models.

Until that report is received - and Moller doubted it would be before about April - any talk is nothing more than speculation.

"The board has not considered in any detail any franchising," he said yesterday.

"Some major associations are really keen on it; some somewhat less keen, others in the middle ground. People need to take a deep breath.

"It is a fundamental change. That doesn't mean we shouldn't make fundamental change.

"If the case for doing it is right, we should be prepared to do it. We've got to make sure everybody wants to go down that path."

Moller is in Australia today for a meeting of the 2015 Cricket World Cup organisers, en route to an International Cricket Council meeting in Dubai next Tuesday, where the thorny issue of governance is top of the bill.

He intends discussing Australia's Big Bash League with Cricket Australia's chief executive, James Sutherland.

Although the BBL has attracted large crowds, the big sponsorship injections have evidently not materialised to the extent expected.

Moller hopes to glean Sutherland's thoughts on how it has panned out, get a steer on possible pitfalls and the merits of the idea.

"All those things have to be worked through. In all walks of life there are no silver bullets. There's no one ideal solution that doesn't have some disadvantages associated with it," Moller said.

Moller is certainly not against the idea of franchising per se, but believes it must be done with the right process.

"Given the diversity of views at the moment, there's going to have to be quite a lot of work to convince people one way or another. Some are keen for it to happen earlier than later; some also don't think it should happen at all."