ICC board pushes for forensic audit into T20 World Cup financial fraud

NEW DELHI: In a latest development, the three-member committee, appointed by the International Cricket Council (ICC), to conduct the review into the delivery of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, is in favour of a thorough forensic audit and is likely to appoint an external company specifically for this purpose.
The development comes a day after ICC appointed Roger Twose, Lawson Naidoo and Imran Khwaja to probe the matter and has been reportedly given a free hand to conduct the investigation.
The ICC members have reached a consensus, with all votes cast in support of launching an investigation into the recently concluded T20 World Cup held in the United States and West Indies. The governing body suspects that the tournament suffered from fiscal impropriety and poor financial oversight.
“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,” News18 quoted an official in the know of things.
Two high-ranking officials at the ICC tendered their resignations last week following extensive periods of service. Chris Tetley, who oversaw events, and Claire Furlong, responsible for marketing and communications, both stepped down from their positions at the governing body for cricket. The departures of these long-serving executives mark a significant change in the ICC's leadership structure.
The reasons behind their decisions to leave the organisation have not been publicly disclosed. However, their contributions to the ICC over the years have been notable, with Tetley and Furlong playing key roles in shaping the organization's events and communication strategies.
The ICC held its four-day Annual Conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka, which ended on Monday. The conference included meetings of the Chief Executives' Committee (CEC) and the Finance & Commercial Affairs Committee.
According to reliable sources, the ICC members hold a firm belief that if the ongoing investigations uncover any instances of financial impropriety, the consequences will extend to the highest levels of leadership. This would include the necessity for both the ICC chair, Greg Barclay, and the CEO, Geoff Allardice, to resign from their positions.
Moreover, it has been reported that the committee has been granted full authority to closely monitor the roles of Tetley and Furlong. The committee will decide whether it is necessary to restrict their workplace access immediately or place them under suspension while the investigation is ongoing.
“Two ICC employees have already submitted their resignations but the committee will look into their roles during the World Cup. The committee will be given a free hand to decide whether there is a need to place them on suspension or restrict access to work. The idea is to not have any sort of hindrance or roadblocks during the thorough investigation,” the official further added.
“Not only is there a need to do the right thing but to also ensure that the ICC is also 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,” say those tracking developments.