Chris Tetley and Claire Furlong have stepped down from their roles at the International Cricket Council (ICC) in the wake of the controversy surrounding the New York pitch during the T20 World Cup 2024. Tetley, who served as the ICC’s Head of Events, and Furlong, who held the position of General Manager of Marketing and Communications, were instrumental in organizing the T20 World Cup across venues in the West Indies and the USA. Their resignations were officially announced on Friday, July 12th.
Senior ICC officials step down amid New York pitch controversy
Both Chris Tetley and Claire Furlong have resigned from their positions at the ICC following the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2024 and just ahead of the ICC’s annual conference scheduled in Colombo, Sri Lanka from July 19 to 22. According to sources cited by Cricbuzz, both Tetley and Furlong had already planned to step down at the end of the previous commercial cycle but remained in their roles due to their involvement in organizing the T20 World Cup.
The sources also indicated that Tetley and Furlong had actually tendered their resignations some time ago, but will stay on with the ICC for the next few months to ensure a smooth transition during a busy event schedule. They are expected to participate in the upcoming Annual Conference Meeting in Colombo.
The T20 World Cup held in New York was a significant undertaking for the ICC, part of their efforts to expand cricket’s footprint in the USA. The tournament’s pitch conditions in New York came under scrutiny, with concerns raised by several ICC members about the low-scoring nature of games and the challenges faced by batsmen in accumulating runs.
New York pitches came under fire during T20 World Cup 2024
The drop-in pitches used at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York during the T20 World Cup 2024 faced significant criticism due to inconsistent bounce and excessive seam movement. These conditions prevented teams from posting high scores throughout the matches held there, contrary to the expectations of fans and spectators for a T20 World Cup event.
New York hosted 8 out of the 16 matches held in the USA during the tournament, with all matches characterized by low scores. The highest total achieved was Canada’s 137-7 against Ireland. Despite the low-scoring nature, the matches in New York were closely contested affairs.
Notably, the high-profile India vs Pakistan encounter at the same venue saw India managing only 119 runs in their 20 overs. Pakistan’s reply of 113-7 fell short by 6 runs, resulting in their defeat. The pitches in New York received heavy criticism from various former cricketers and experts for their challenging conditions.
However, despite the criticisms, eventual champions India refrained from complaining, believing the pitch conditions were the same for both teams.
Nassau County International Cricket Stadium was constructed as a modular facility by T20 World Cup Inc in a remarkably short time frame. However, it was intended as a temporary structure and was dismantled promptly after the conclusion of the matches in New York.
