It is only a matter of time before a New Zealand team becomes involved in the Big Bash competition in Australia, the boss of Otago Cricket believes.
But before that, New Zealand Cricket and its associations need to have a look at our own twenty20 competition and make it viable.
The Big Bash twenty20 competition is in its fifth year across the Ditch and has been attracting large crowds.
More than 80,000 turned up to watch the match between the two Melbourne sides on January 2 and a crowd of more than 45,000 was at the Adelaide Oval on New Year's Eve.
By contrast, the domestic T20 competition in New Zealand was played in November and early December, in front of small crowds and in chilly conditions. The final was played in New Plymouth, at Yarrow Stadium, in front of a crowd of about 200.
Otago Cricket Association chief executive Mike Coggan said an Otago side could compete in the Big Bash and put on a good showing.
"You'd imagine if we got both Brendon and Nathan [McCullum] playing, a couple of imports, with the current Otago side, and we could have a team which would be very competitive,'' he said.
"We could go back to the halcyon days in Alexandra when you used to get a good few thousand there.''
Coggan said the domestic T20 competition was at the wrong time, when no-one was thinking about cricket.
"What we have at the moment is obviously not working. New Zealand Cricket and the major associations need to get together and get it right. It is really important that we get it right.
"Over there [in Australia] the stars are aligned for them. They have the stars, big stadiums, it is on free-to-air television, which make a huge difference. It is seen as an entertainment product and people want to get involved.''
"You would think in the near or middle-distance future a New Zealand team would get involved. It has happened in every other code so why not cricket?''
New Zealand Cricket has not yet shown any interest in joining the T20 competition across the Tasman.
Of course, the Australians may not want a New Zealand side with doubts over whether big enough crowds would support it.
Former Black Caps skipper Daniel Vettori, who is now coaching the Brisbane Heat, has thrown his support behind a New Zealand team in the Australian competition.
Coggan said it actually cost the association money to take its team to New Plymouth for finals weekend in twenty20.
It lost any advantage from finishing top qualifier, as the finals series was scheduled for Yarrow Stadium before the season started.
Central Districts did not make the finals.
Sky Television had done a deal with the associations to broadcast the games and had control over scheduling.
But Coggan said Sky would hardly be happy with the low crowds at the matches and might want to get back to the negotiating table.
Coggan was pleased with the turnout at the one-day games in Alexandra but said it could have been more.
"We got over 1000 to the first game but it got very hot in the afternoon and people stayed away. It was just too hot for them. The second game was a real contrast, in that it was quite cold.‘‘But we will definitely look at going there again. It is an outstanding venue.''
