The T20 World Cup 2024, held in the West Indies and won by India, was a memorable tournament for Indian fans. However, for some teams, it turned into a nightmare, especially for the players of the Oman cricket team. Oman made history by qualifying for the T20 World Cup for the first time, but almost the entire team has now been excluded from the setup. Many players have had to leave the country after Oman Cricket refused to pay the team’s prize money of US $225,000, which was allocated for teams ranked 13th to 20th in the tournament.

The Oman Prize Money Controversy

The ICC had announced a total prize pool of US$11.25 million for the T20 World Cup 2024, with India, the winners, receiving $2.45 million. However, according to the World Cricketers Association, several cricket boards failed to pay the full prize money to their players. Oman’s case is the worst—none of the 15-member squad received a single dollar of the $225,000 prize money.

Per ICC rules, member boards must pay prize money to players within 21 days after the tournament ends. The ICC confirmed it released the prize money to Oman Cricket, but the money never reached the players.

Players Raise Voice, Face Harsh Consequences

Oman players repeatedly raised this issue with the cricket board and team management, but to no avail. The situation escalated before the T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup held in Oman in October 2024, when players united and threatened to boycott the tournament unless their dues were cleared. The board responded harshly, threatening to replace them.

When the players refused to back down, they were forced to vacate their hotel rooms and were effectively removed from the squad. The squad that played the first match against UAE featured only five players from the original World Cup team, and just two of those players appeared in the UAE game.

Players Left Jobless and Forced to Leave Oman

Many players were compelled to leave Oman due to this controversy. Like many Gulf countries, residency in Oman is tied to an employment visa. Once the players were removed from the team, their employment and visas were cancelled, forcing them to return to their home countries without jobs.

Fayyaz Butt, who played 30 ODIs and 47 T20Is for Oman over five years, spoke to ESPNcricinfo about how this episode has devastated his career. Today, he is unemployed after being forced out of Oman.

What Is the ICC Doing?

The big question remains—what steps is the ICC taking to address this injustice? The players await justice as many have lost their careers and livelihoods due to the mishandling of prize money by the Oman Cricket board.