The Oman Cricket Board (OCB) hasn’t yet paid the prize money of US$ 225,000 to Oman’s national cricket team, as they were supposed to receive for their participation in the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The ninth edition of the tournament, played in the USA and the West Indies, set a new record for lucrative prize money. Shockingly, Oman’s 15-member squad hasn’t received its share.
A team that finished between 13th and 20th place in the tournament is being mistreated by their nation’s cricketing board. This was the claim made by those Omani players who actively took part in the World Cup but are no longer part of the national team’s squad.
Cricket Contracts Cancelled: Oman Cricketers Fled the Nation!
It is even more surprising that the players in the Oman squad do not originate from Oman. Most of them were refugees from other Asian nations who lived in Oman on work visas. As they no longer represent the Oman national team, they fled the nation.
This is because their employment visas were linked to their cricket contracts. And once the agreement has been terminated, several former players of the team had to leave the country.
ICC Paid the Full Amount to the Oman Cricket Board
The latest reports reveal that the International Cricket Council (ICC) transferred the amount of USD 225,000 to the Oman Cricket Board. But the cash prize was never paid to the cricketers. Particularly, those players who tried their level best to try to sort out the situation have found themselves expelled from the team.
According to the terms and conditions of ICC’s events, where each member participates, the prize money should be distributed to the squad through their respective member boards. Also, the process is mandated to be done within 21 days after the conclusion of the event.
T20 World Cup 2024: A Significant Landmark for Oman Men’s Cricket Team
The Oman team, led by Kashyap Prajapati, considered the T20 World Cup 2024 as one of the crucial landmarks of their careers.
In simpler words, the associate nation’s team had a golden chance to compete on an international level against the top-tier teams like England and Australia in the group stages.
However, Oman’s campaign concluded as the table bottomers in the group phases without securing any wins in the tournament. In other words, they lost all four games against Australia, Scotland, England, and Namibia. Nevertheless, the Oman cricketers would still be satisfied to take part in global tournaments.
‘We Were Forced to Leave the Nation’: Oman Captain Opens Up About the Issue
After being forced to leave Oman, Kashyap Prajapati voiced his disappointment as he was banished by his own nation’s cricket board:
“Certainly! Due to this issue, our lives have been destroyed. Not only did we lose our spot on the national team, but our contracts have also been cancelled. As a consequence, we had to leave the country forcefully.
So far, we have been confused and left clueless. Till now, we were not able to understand why ICC hasn’t been able to ensure whether we were paid the prize money or not. We have the right to ask what we have earned. There has been neither a safe place nor proper methods for us to speak up and raise our concerns,” Prajapati questioned.
Meanwhile, Fayyaz Butt, another cricketer of the Oman team expressed upon his current situation by saying:
“See! Right now, I am looking for job opportunities and am still unemployed. A massive loss occurred in my career and profession, which forced me to leave Oman. But one thing is clear, our cricketing days are over,” Fayyaz said.
Oman Players Not Aware of Their Rights to Claim Prize Money
Initially, the Oman cricketers were ignorant of the fact that they had the right to ask for their prize money, which they were supposed to get after taking part in the T20 World Cup 2021. This was indeed the seventh edition of the tournament that Oman jointly hosted along with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Omani players were clueless about the reality that they could directly demand the prize money from their cricket board. They came to know the truth only after the cricketers from Canada and Nepal informed them. In other words, during Oman’s ODI tri-series in Canada after the T20 World Cup 2024, the players found out the entire truth.
Ahead of the T20 Emerging Asia Cup hosted by Oman, the cricketers shared their concerns, but the board ignored their requests.
Oman Cricket Board Threatened Players to Boycott
Whenever the players attempted to obtain clarification and assurance about the prize money payment, they received threats from the boards to be boycotted. Also, they were asked to vacate the team’s hotel, citing the availability of reserve players to replace them in the squad.
Out of the originally assigned 15-member squad from the T20 World Cup 2024, only five of them participated in the opening match of the Emerging Asia Cup against the UAE that year.
Final Verdict
However, Oman isn’t the only national cricket team that has faced this issue. According to the reports provided by the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA), five out of twenty nations participated in the T20 World Cup 2024. But, they haven’t received their full prize money so far.
In conclusion, the residency of the individuals in the majority of Gulf states depends on their jobs, and they can stay in the nation only if they have a valid working visa. In this case, the Oman players risked their careers for asking for the prize money, which prompted the board to revoke their contracts and compelled them to flee the country.