A Cricket ACT-Cricket New South Wales alliance has resulted in a re-badged ACT/NSW Country Comets outfit in the Futures League.

Higgs says the Canberra competition "is going to suffer heavily" if Cricket ACT doesn't play its cards right and deserving local players miss out on representative opportunities.

Former Australian Test fast bowler Trent Copeland is captaining a new-look side featuring just five Canberra first grade players and a host of Sydneysiders.

The Comets made a promising start to their Futures League campaign against NSW Metro at Manuka Oval on Monday, looking a shadow of the outfit that went winless last season.

Nicholas Larkin blasted a brilliant 189, while Jono Dean (46) and Jay Lenton (62no) also impressed with the bat as the hosts reached 4-312 at stumps.

Higgs says Copeland's presence is a massive boost but selectors will need to keep a balance between local stars and NSW players.

"If it allows the best kids from Canberra to get the opportunity to play with state players, it's fantastic. If it's all NSW players picked only, it would be a real shame for the area," Higgs said.

"Trent Copeland for instance is playing in this match. If you have a player like that playing around a young fast bowler coming through the ACT system, that's going to be really helpful for him.

"But also, if they're only picking one or two blokes from the local competition, we're going to find that over the course of the next two or three years, our local cricket competition is going to suffer heavily."

Tuggeranong's Shane Devoy, Weston Creek Molonglo pair Jono Dean and Harry Medhurst, Queanbeyan's Dean Solway, and North Canberra-Gungahlin youngster Ben Taylor are the only Comets currently playing in the ACT competition.

Higgs coached the Comets three seasons ago when a similar arrangement was in place that once resulted in a record-low three ACT players turning out for the region's premier men's team.

Players and club presidents at the time grew frustrated at the lack of opportunity for locals, but some Comets stars were Canberra products that had moved to Sydney for grade cricket - as Henry Hunt and Blake Macdonald have done this season.

Higgs would prefer to see players "come to town" and play in the Canberra competition, and the fact they don't is "probably the only negative" in the arrangement.

Higgs is adamant Cricket Australia will expand and Canberra will be the first cab off the rank when it comes to adding a new Sheffield Shield or domestic one-day team.

But he says Cricket ACT must maintain ownership of the Comets program - as chief executive Cameron French has declared will be the case - because "pathways in other codes seem a lot more appealing" to young players.

"For me when I grew up and even when I was involved in the association, young people had a fantastic opportunity through ACT cricket and you just hope that's still there," Higgs said.

"Because if that hope is not there, the drop off rate at 15 or 16 which we see in all sports, it will be heavier in cricket than it has ever been in the local area."

FUTURES LEAGUE ROUND ONE

Monday-Wednesday: ACT/NSW Country Comets v NSW Metro at Manuka Oval, 10.30am.

ACT/NSW Country Comets squad: Trent Copeland (captain), Henry Hunt, Nick Larkin, Jono Dean, Jay Lenton (wk), Blake Macdonald, Andrew Harriott, Dean Solway, Ben Taylor, Nathan McAndrew, Shane Devoy, Harry Medhurst.

NSW Metro squad: Wil Somerville (c), Nic Bertus, Nic Bills, Josh Clarke, Jordan Gauci, Liam Hatcher, Damien Mortimer, Arjun Nair, Luke Ohrynowsky, Daniel Sams, Daniel Solway, Charlie Stobo.