Cricket West Indies CEO Provides Update on T20 World Cup Finals Host Announcement

By Rawle Toney

Chief executive officer of Cricket West Indies, Johnny Grave today maintained that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had not yet revealed which country would host the finals of next year’s T20 World Cup.

In fact, Grave said the ICC was yet to release match schedules for the June 4-30 tournament, which is being jointly hosted by the Caribbean and the USA.

His comments have come following a recent revelation from president of the Barbados Cricket Association, Conde Riley, that Kensington Oval had been selected to host the semifinals and finals of next year’s tournament.

Speaking on popular radio programme Mason and Guest on Tuesday night, Riley disclosed that he had received official confirmation from the ICC that Barbados had been chosen.

Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago are reported to have submitted bids to host the final.

However, CWI president, Dr Kishore Shallow, who was also on the programme, refuted Riley’s claims at the time.

In a statement issued today, Grave said CWI was still awaiting word from the ICC.

“Following a robust selection process of our seven host venues, CWI-appointed Venues Selection Committee, chaired by president Dr Kishore Shallow, has made recommendations to the ICC on allocations of matches for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” he said in a media release on Wednesday.

“These recommendations are subject to venues confirming commitment to all required obligations and ICC approval.

“We are delighted by the enthusiasm and interest expressed by our host governments and cricket boards and appreciate the hard work and commitment shown as we look to deliver a spectacular Men’s T20 World Cup next year. We will now work with the ICC, our hosts, and ICC members to finalise the match schedule in the coming weeks,” Grave further added.

During the radio programme, Riley asserted that the BCA had received an official letter from the ICC stating, “Barbados has been earmarked, not by Cricket West Indies, but by the ICC, to host the finals, semi-finals, and a number of games in the Super 8, which includes England and India.”

In response, Shallow insisted that Rile await an official ICC announcement following a review of all submitted bids.

Grave’s comments may have quelled speculation, although Dr Shallow pointed out that the ICC will make the official determination with an announcement scheduled “no later than November.”

In addition to Barbados, the regional territories named as host nations for the second edition of the tournament in the Caribbean are Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Lucia, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Matches in the United States will be hosted at Grand Prairie (Dallas), Broward County (Florida), and Nassau County (New York).

The 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup will feature a total of 20 participating teams, with 15 already confirmed. [email protected]