ICC to Review USA Leg of T20 World Cup Amid Budget Overrun Concerns

Following India's victory over the USA on June 12 in the 2024 T20 World Cup at the Nassau County International Stadium in New York, the world’s first fully modular cricket stadium was swiftly dismantled and packed away. Before the teams had even left, cranes were already removing the four drop-in pitches, and workers began disassembling the stands, which had been borrowed from Las Vegas Formula One by the ICC.

The New York project was one of the most ambitious undertakings by the ICC, built from scratch in 106 days. However, questions arose almost immediately about the USA leg, which hosted 16 of the 55 World Cup matches. The ICC Board, meeting this weekend in Colombo, will address several concerns, particularly the significant budget overrun and who should be held accountable.

An ICC Board director indicated that an initial budget of $40-50 million was approved for the USA leg, with $15 million for operational expenses and $30 million for the temporary stadium construction. However, just before the World Cup began, T20 World Cup USA Inc, the entity managing the US leg, requested an additional $20 million. This late request caused alarm among several board directors, who questioned why no prior warnings were given.

An official involved in the tournament clarified that the $20 million request was not for an increased budget but to support cash flow, as T20 Inc. needed funds to pay vendors and sought a loan. Despite this explanation, directors like CWI President Dr. Kishore Shallow, ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja, and Associate Director Pankaj Khimji expressed concerns over the inflated expenditures. Khimji even called for an investigation into the US leg.

CWI was the main host of the T20 World Cup after the ICC stripped USA Cricket of its co-hosting duties due to governance and financial issues. Consequently, T20 World Cup USA Inc. became the Local Organising Committee for the USA leg, operating independently of the ICC. Brett Jones was appointed CEO, with Peter Hutton as chair and Adrian Griffiths heading operations. The initial plan was for a CWI-appointed LOC to collaborate with T20 World Cup USA Inc., but communication broke down as the tournament progressed.

Concerns extended beyond financial issues. Directors highlighted problems such as poor pitch quality at some venues and empty stands during the Caribbean leg. Despite efforts to keep pitches fresh, some surfaces were slow and uneven, raising questions about their suitability for T20 cricket. The sparse attendance at the tournament opener in Guyana, with West Indies playing Papua New Guinea, exemplified the issue, attributed to scheduling day matches to suit Indian broadcast timings.

Andy Atkinson, the ICC's pitch consultant for the past two decades, was notably absent, prompting questions about who was overseeing pitch quality. Additionally, the day matches, scheduled to cater to the Indian market, led to low turnouts despite CWI's significant marketing budget.

The ICC Board is expected to review the tournament in its October meetings when audited accounts will be available. The USA leg was intended to tap into the American market and serve as a precursor to cricket's inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. While some directors believe the ICC achieved significant exposure, questions about the marketing spend remain. The ICC Board will seek answers and accountability for the budget overruns and other issues during their review.