USA Cricket stripped as co-host of ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024; Cricket West Indies to be sole hosts - Reports
USA Cricket have reportedly been stripped as the co-hosts of ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024. The American cricket governing body was supposed to host the mega event along with Cricket West Indies next year, but the ICC have made some changes now.
According to a report by Cricket Next, ICC sources have confirmed that Cricket West Indies will be the sole hosts of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024. The international cricket governing has contracted CWI for the event, and it will hold Cricket West Indies responsible to deliver.
Speaking with Cricket Next, ICC sources informed:
“For jointly hosted World Cups we often contract with the Full Member (FM) as the host who is fully responsible for the delivery of the Event. The FM would then have a staging agreement with the relevant Members to ensure the successful staging of World Cup matches in other countries. In this case, Cricket West Indies have been contracted as World Cup hosts," ICC sources informed.
The statement hints that if Cricket West Indies opts to conduct a few games in another nation, including the USA, the CWI officials could make a decision regarding the same.
Probable reason behind ICC stripping USA Cricket as co-host of ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024
One of the reasons behind USA Cricket losing its co-host status is that there is no clarity about who is running the affairs in the board.
In the past, ICC banned the US Cricket Federation or helplessly allowed another elected body to sustain it. Even now, the international cricket governing body runs its affairs in the United States via their employees of that nation.
Sources tracking these developments questioned ICC's 'love' for USA and sought an explanation for why countries in Africa or rising teams like Nepal do not get hosting rights for a mega event like ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024.
Fans should note that Oman's Pankaj Khimji has now replaced Ricky Skerritt in the ICC nominations committee. Khimji is a member director of associate nations in ICC, while Skerritt played a key role in USA Cricket being nominated as a co-host for ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024.