Big blow for Oman Cricket as players await their T20 WC prize money

Payment disputes hit Oman cricket hard as players make their way out of the country to seek a better cricketing future for themselves. In a shocking development, it is understood that the national cricketing board has categorically refused to distribute a prize money of US$ 225,000 amongst the players. This amount was set aside by the International Cricket Council ICC for all teams finishing between 13th and 20th rank.  

This decision from the board has left the players extremely left out. A year ago, in the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, Oman were living a dream playing alongside the likes of high-quality sides such as Australia and England. Although Oman could not achieve anything of major significance, being presented with an opportunity to compete with some of the best in the business helped them enhance their cricketing horizons.

But following their promising run in the 2024 T20 World Cup, some of the notable players, including the captain Kashyap Prajapati, have moved overseas, trying to seek a better fortune for themselves. He is not the only player who has fallen out of favor with the board due to payment disputes. Almost the entire Oman squad that took part in that World Cup tournament is no longer part of the current set-up.  

See also: Another Indian World Cup winner bids adieu to International cricket

Prajapati opens up on payment dispute fiasco

While speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Prajapati found this entire issue to be worrisome and revealed the consequences the entire team has to face due to non-payment. He further asks why the ICC is not able to intervene and come up with a permanent fix to this problem.

"Our lives have been upended over this issue; we've lost our spot in the team, our contracts have been torn up, and we have been forced to leave the country. It's just so confusing and we don't understand why the ICC isn't able to ensure we get paid the prize money we have earned, and why there isn't a safe space for us to raise concerns?"

Oman Cricket's refusal to pay the prize money to its members may have dire consequences for the future of cricket in that country. It can fuel mistrust and a lack of transparency between the board and its players, ultimately leading to a poor reputation for the governing body worldwide. 

Under ICC's regulations, all prize money is required to be distributed to the team through the member boards within 21 days following the conclusion of the event. The ICC has formally indicated that the prize money was disbursed to Oman Cricket. However, those funds have not yet been transferred to the players. Attempts were made by the players to engage with the board on this matter following Oman's exit from the T20 World Cup 2024. Sadly, those conversations proved futile as they did not lead the players to a desirable outcome.