PAYMENT CRISIS
Pankaj Khimji, the Chairman, assured players that the payment will be made in due time before they exited © Cricket Oman
Oman Cricket (OC) has announced that it will soon distribute the prize money owed to players in alignment with the International Cricket Council (ICC) regulations. The total amount of USD 225,000 is meant for players following the team’s participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. This decision came after multiple emergency board meetings over the past eight months.
“The board emphasized that the delay was due to procedural reasons, relying on official post-event clarifications from the ICC, which are generally received after international competitions,” OC stated in a release on Monday (June 23).
A significant concern arose when 11 senior players, including then-captain Aqib Ilyas and former captain Zeeshan Maqsood, walked out moments before Oman’s campaign at the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup in October 2024.
Despite concerns surrounding the delayed monetary disbursement, OC officials, including Chairman Pankaj Khimji, repeatedly assured the players that all payments would be honored after the ICC confirmed the financial allocations. “Despite these assurances, some players escalated the situation to a walkout, jeopardizing Oman’s international commitments,” stated the OC.
In response to the walkout, the OC Board held emergency sessions and unanimously decided to terminate the central contracts of the involved players, prohibiting them from participating in national or domestic cricket until further notice.
OC Chair Khimji remarked that while players have the right to seek clarification, the sudden withdrawal just hours before the tournament was irresponsible. He criticized the involvement of the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA), accusing it of inciting unrest at a crucial time. “The players were misled into abandoning their responsibilities disguised as advocacy,” Khimji stated.
Subsequent to the players’ withdrawal, a new squad was organized under Jatinder Singh, who led the team to victory in 9 out of 11 matches in the ongoing ICC World Cup League 2. OC has formed a committee to examine the communication breakdown regarding the prize money and to establish a clearer structure for player remuneration in future tournaments.
