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Xtra Time Web Desk: The International Cricket Council (ICC) is currently investigating significant financial overspending during the United States leg of the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024. This segment, which included the construction of the Nassau County International Stadium in New York within a mere 106 days, saw potential losses reaching millions of dollars. The stadium hosted eight matches, including the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash, with the US hosting 16 of the 55 total tournament matches.

The ICC Board is set to meet in Colombo this weekend to delve into why costs exceeded the initial budget. According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, the original budget for the US leg was estimated at $40-50 million, including $15 million for operational costs and approximately $30 million for the stadium's construction. However, just before the tournament, T20 World Cup USA Inc., the US-based entity managing this segment, requested an additional $20 million. This last-minute request alarmed several board directors, who were concerned about the lack of earlier warnings or flagged issues.

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An ICC board director highlighted that the $20 million request was intended as a loan to manage cash flow and cover operational expenses, not as an extra budget. Despite this clarification, the request raised significant concerns among ICC directors, including CWI President Dr. Kishore Shallow, ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja, and Associate Director Pankaj Khimji. Full Member board heads also raised issues, with Khimji reportedly calling for a thorough investigation into the US leg of the tournament.

The Caribbean Cricket Board (CWI) became the primary host after the ICC removed USA Cricket as a co-host due to governance and financial issues. T20 World Cup USA Inc., a newly established not-for-profit organization, took over as the Local Organising Committee for the US portion of the tournament.

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The ICC Board's upcoming discussion will focus on accountability for the overspending and ensure future financial oversight in such large-scale projects.