The USA Cricket Association (USACA) and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) today announced the commencement of formal discussions with the intention of establishing a strategic partnership agreement between the two national cricket boards in the near future.
“We are very positive and excited about the benefits our relationship with NZC can bring to USA Cricket,” stated USACA CEO Don Lockerbie. “USA Cricket can learn greatly from the experience and knowledge of NZC, and we believe there are real and significant cricketing benefits and commercial opportunities possible through this partnership.”
The proposed partnership covers a variety of activities, ranging from the sharing of coaching and development resources through to the staging of international cricket fixtures involving the New Zealand BLACKCAPS in the United States, as well as other joint commercial ventures.
To start the partnership NZC is offering USACA immediate assistance to prepare its national Under-19 team ahead of the ICC Under-19 World Cup in January 2010.
“We are looking forward to a long-term partnership with USACA,” stated NZC CEO Justin Vaughan. “Cricket in the United States is at a very exciting stage, and we are enthusiastic about the prospect of helping USACA significantly grow the game in their country. The benefits of cricket becoming more established in the USA are globally significant for the sport.”
USACA’s President Gladstone Dainty remarked, “USACA is thrilled at the opportunity of working with New Zealand Cricket, more so with our Under-19 squad headed there in early January for the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup.”
The partnership between USACA and NZC is the first of several possible commercial opportunities for USACA resulting from an RFP issued in July of this year seeking commercial partners. There were 102 expressions of interest made from a total of 16 countries to the advertised RFP, with 42 respondents providing a wide gamut of proposed commercial opportunities.
