Cricket Ireland has lodged a formal complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding their experience at the recent T20 World Cup staged in America. Despite the challenging conditions, such as the poorly received pitch in Long Island, the primary grievance surrounds the accommodation arrangements throughout the New York phase of the tournament.
Initially, the Irish team was scheduled to lodge near the Nassau County International Stadium on Long Island but was relocated just a fortnight prior to the tournament commencement. The replacement accommodation was situated in Brooklyn, approximately a 90-minute drive from the stadium, adding considerably to their commute time. It’s worth noting that the Indian team, whom Ireland competed against in New York, had their accommodation within walking distance of the venue.
The long journey to the stadium and training facilities resulted in Ireland skipping at least one training session during their stay in the Big Apple. Efforts were also made to pull out of a pre-game media briefing to avoid the taxing roundtrip required of a player to meet media obligations, which later resulted in a compromise.
The ICC covers travel and stay expenses for a delegation of 25 people per country, comprising 15 players and 10 team support staff, during these tournaments.
While it’s uncertain whether it was part of the complaint, the Irish team neither practised nor played at the Nassau County International Stadium before their first match against India. Notably, their rivals had the advantage of playing a practice match against Bangladesh at the same venue.
Following face-offs in New York and Florida with multiple defeats, Ireland exited the tournament prematurely after losses to India, Canada, Pakistan and a no-result match against the USA due to rainfall.
In response to the situation, a Cricket Ireland spokesperson confirmed they have provided “event feedback” to the ICC, with plans for more in-depth discussions post-tournament. The ICC’s reaction to the complaint is yet to be reported.