Chaos in Oman Cricket: World Cup Prize Money Withheld, Serious Allegations Rock the Board

Sports News: The Oman Cricket Board is once again in the midst of controversies. The reason is the prize money of the players participating in the 2024 T20 World Cup has not been paid yet. A total of 2.25 lakh US dollars, i.e., about Rs 1.93 crore, was given to Oman by the International Cricket Council (ICC). But the board not only did not deliver this money to the players, but the players who were daring to ask questions were dropped from the team.

Players' voices were suppressed, contracts were also canceled

Indian-born player Kashyap Prajapati, who has played many international matches for Oman, is currently taking refuge in the US. Prajapati says, "We not only lost our team, but our career and identity were also taken away. We were asked to keep quiet, and when we raised questions, our contracts were terminated." Prajapati also claimed that the board has not distributed prize money for any T20 tournament since 2021, and the players were not even given any information about this policy.
Open violation of ICC guidelines

As per ICC rules, it is mandatory for the board to pay its players their share of prize money within 21 days of the end of any international tournament. The ICC has publicly stated that they had made the payment to Oman. Despite this, even after nearly a year has passed, the players have not received a penny.

Employment visa cancelled; had to leave the country

The Oman team's fast bowler Fayyaz Butt, who was born in Pakistan, has also left the country after his employment visa was cancelled. In the Gulf countries, players are usually kept on the team through work visas, but their legal status also comes under threat as soon as they leave cricket. Fayyaz is now looking for employment, and he said that this whole situation "seems like a planned punishment."

WCA's support and international concern

The World Cricketers Association (WCA) has also confirmed this situation. The WCA says that while some boards did delay, Oman is the only country that has completely refused and ignored the players' complaints.

Sportsmanship or power showcase

This whole matter is now not just an economic issue but a moral and human rights issue. Withholding the hard-earned money of the players, expelling them over their questions, and then cancelling their visas shows that the Oman Cricket Board is moving towards a dangerous model of exploitation.