The International Cricket Council (ICC) appears to have sacked CEO Geoff Allardice just weeks before the Champions Trophy, which will feature all the sport’s top nations.
A board member told the Press Trust of India that his failure to present a “clear picture” of host Pakistan’s lack of preparedness was one of the multiple reasons behind the move.
The 57-year-old, who hailed from Cricket Australia, joined the ICC in 2012 as general manager of cricket. He was appointed CEO in November 2021, after having served as acting CEO for eight months.
“It has been a privilege to serve as the chief executive officer of the International Cricket Council and I am incredibly proud of the results we have achieved, from enhancing the global reach of cricket to the commercial foundation put in place for ICC Members,” Allardice said in a statement. “I believe this is the right time for me to step down and pursue new challenges.”
The official ICC statement made no mention of the exact reasons for Allardice’s departure, but a source told PTI that his ouster had been on the cards for a while.
“The T20 World Cup in the US was a big flop in terms of playing conditions and it also exceeded its budget... the auditing is still being done,” the board member told PTI.
“What broke the camel’s back was the Champions Trophy, where as CEO, he was supposed to give a clear picture about the readiness of Pakistan to host a tourney of such magnitude.”
The Champions Trophy is due to start on Feb 19 with India playing its share of matches in Dubai owing to security concerns in Pakistan.
But the bigger concern for the ICC is that tournament venues in Karachi and Rawalpindi are still partially under construction or renovation, and the images that have come from there do not paint a positive picture.
It remains unclear whether Pakistan would be ready for the start of the marquee event, which features the world’s top eight teams and is being held for the first time after 2017.
However, ICC chairman Jay Shah praised Allardice for his contribution to the game.
“On behalf of the ICC board, I want to sincerely thank Geoff for his leadership and commitment during his tenure as chief executive. His efforts have played a key role in advancing cricket globally,” Mr Shah said.
