The International Cricket Council (ICC) will meet in Colombo this weekend to address unexpected financial complications surrounding the US leg of the T20 World Cup 2024. What started as an ambitious entry into the American market has now raised concerns.
They constructed a fully modular stadium in New York in just 106 days, an engineering feat that initially impressed many. The ICC had approved a budget of USD 40-50 million for the USA leg, with USD 15 million allocated for operational expenses and around USD 30 million for the stadium’s construction. However, alarm bells rang when T20 World Cup USA Inc., the entity managing the American leg, requested an additional USD 20 million on the eve of the tournament. This last-minute cash injection request sparked outrage among board directors, who are now demanding answers about the cost overruns and lack of prior warning.
Complicating matters further, there are claims that the USD 20 million was not an additional budget but a loan to support cash flow. This discrepancy has led to calls for a thorough investigation, with high-profile ICC directors, including CWI President Dr. Kishore Shallow and ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja, expressing serious reservations.
Beyond financial concerns, the board will address other issues affecting the tournament’s image. These include the questionable quality of pitches at some venues and the empty stands during the Caribbean leg of the event. The absence of Andy Atkinson, the ICC’s long-time pitch consultant, has raised questions about oversight and quality control. Despite investing the largest marketing budget for any T20 World Cup, the Caribbean experienced poor attendance. This issue, potentially caused by scheduling day matches to cater to the Indian broadcast market, will also be scrutinized.
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