CWI stands firm on decision to withhold 2024 Super50 Cup prize money
“No winner, no prize"
Cricket West Indies has reiterated that no prize money will be awarded to the 2024 Men’s Super50 Cup finalists after Barbados Pride and Jamaica Scorpions forfeited the championship match. Inclement weather had seen the contest reduced to 20 overs a side, but with neither captain turning up for the toss, a double forfeit was declared.
Speaking on the latest edition of Mason and Guest, CWI CEO Chris Dehring said, “We've had several attempts to find a resolution to the matter. But our position on the prize money is that there was no winner. And therefore no prize. Neither team participated in the final.”
Both teams harboured concerns regarding the safety of the conditions in which they were being asked to play, following the rain at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, which had delayed the start of the match.
“Despite assurances from the umpires and match referee that the conditions were safe for play, both captains failed to be present for the toss, allowing time to elapse past the latest starting point,” CWI said at the time. “As a result, both teams failed to take the field, effectively refusing to play. This resulted in a double forfeit, with no champion being declared.”
The champions were set to receive prize money of US$100,000, while the runners-up would have received US$50,000. According to Dehring, the entire ordeal “brought the tournament into disrepute.”
“It would have happened before my time, but just looking at it objectively, it's an event that you certainly wouldn't want to have happen again in West Indies cricket," he said.
Match referee Reon King charged both captains, Pride's Raymon Reifer and Scorpions' John Campbell, with Level 3 offences for failing to be present for the coin toss. CWI eventually dropped the charges against Reifer before withdrawing those against Campbell.
“It's just something that we collectively, and all the stakeholders of West Indies cricket, need to try to avoid going forward,” Dehring concluded.