Corruption scam in T20 World Cup 2024? ICC to set up massive enquiry
Published - 17 Jul 2024, 10:43 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:15 AM
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is investigating the financial overspend of the United States of America leg of the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024. The International Cricket Council is seeking explanations for the overspending, with potential losses reaching millions of dollars for the USA segment.
The ICC undertook a highly ambitious project in New York, building the Nassau County International Stadium from scratch in just 106 days. This venue hosted eight T20 World Cup 2024 matches, including the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash. The United States hosted 16 of the 55 matches in the World Cup.
ICC Board to Discuss Financial Overspend of US Leg of T20 World Cup 2024
According to a report by ESPNCricinfo, the ICC Board, meeting in Colombo this weekend, will focus on investigating why the costs of the US leg of the T20 World Cup exceeded the initial budget. The cricket board will determine who should be held accountable for the overspending.
The report added that an ICC board director stated that the initial budget for the US leg of the T20 World Cup was estimated at $40-50 million. This budget was allocated with $15 million for operational costs and about $30 million for building the temporary stadium near New York City.
Before the marquee tournament, T20 World Cup USA Inc, the US-based entity managing the US leg of the tournament, requested an additional $20 million. This last-minute request alarmed several board directors, who questioned why there were no earlier warnings or issues flagged about the budget.
"However, on the eve of the World Cup, T20 World Cup USA Inc, the US-based entity created by the ICC's commercial arm IBC (ICC Business Corporation) to run the US leg, sent in a request for an additional $20 million. This "outraged and alarmed" a number of board directors, according to a second director, not least the fact that the request was made at the last minute," a report by ESPNcricinfo said.
An official involved in organizing the tournament clarified that the $20 million requested by T20 World Cup USA Inc. was not for an extra budget but was intended as a loan to manage cash flow and cover operational expenses. "T20 Inc. had to pay people and needed a cash injection as a loan."
Several ICC directors, including CWI President Dr. Kishore Shallow, ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja, and Associate Director Pankaj Khimji, expressed concerns about the excessive spending that led to the loan request. Other Full Member board heads also raised issues, and Khimji reportedly called for an investigation into the US leg of the tournament.
The CWI became the primary host of the T20 World Cup after the ICC removed USA Cricket as a co-host due to its governance and financial problems. T20 World Cup USA Inc., a newly established not-for-profit organization, took over as the Local Organising Committee for the US portion of the tournament.
