NEW DELHI – July 24, 2024 – The International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed a three-member committee to conduct a thorough review into the financial dealings of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The committee, consisting of Roger Twose, Lawson Naidoo, and Imran Khwaja, is advocating for a forensic audit and is likely to bring in an external company for this purpose.
This decision follows unanimous consensus among ICC members to launch an investigation into the financial oversight of the recently concluded T20 World Cup held in the United States and West Indies. Suspicions of fiscal impropriety have prompted the ICC to take decisive action.
An ICC official stated, “It was unanimously decided to give the committee a free hand to conduct the review. There is a bright possibility of an external company conducting a thorough forensic audit of the 2024 T20 World Cup. Every detail will be looked into and every transaction will be thoroughly checked.”
The ICC’s resolve to address these concerns comes on the heels of the resignations of two high-ranking officials, Chris Tetley and Claire Furlong, who oversaw events and marketing and communications, respectively. Their departures mark a significant shift in the ICC’s leadership.
During the ICC’s four-day Annual Conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka, which concluded on Monday, discussions highlighted the need for transparency and accountability. The Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) and the Finance & Commercial Affairs Committee were integral to these discussions.
Sources indicate that the ongoing investigations could lead to significant consequences, potentially necessitating the resignation of ICC chair Greg Barclay and CEO Geoff Allardice, should financial impropriety be confirmed.
The committee has been granted full authority to scrutinize the roles of Tetley and Furlong, including the possibility of suspending them or restricting their workplace access during the investigation.
An official emphasized the importance of transparency: “Not only is there a need to do the right thing but to also ensure that the ICC is seen as doing the right thing. As the global governing body of the game, the ICC is accountable to its members and fans all over the world. Transparency has to be the key at all times, and unfortunately, it was missing in many ways all this while.”
The ICC’s proactive steps in commissioning a forensic audit and ensuring thorough scrutiny reflect its commitment to upholding the integrity and trust of cricket’s governing body.
