Cricket: ICC to pay up $3m held out over Nairobi game

By JULIE ASH

New Zealand Cricket will receive $3 million withheld by the International Cricket Council following their decision not to play in Nairobi during last year's World Cup.

The ICC has been in a dispute with its commercial partner Global Cricket Corporation, which is seeking compensation following England's refusal to play in Harare and New Zealand's refusal to play in Nairobi during the last World Cup.

The ICC withheld some of the money owned to New Zealand as their share of world cup profits, to ensure it could meet the corporation's claim if required.

However, at the conclusion of an ICC board meeting in Auckland yesterday, president Ehsan Mani said that following an update on the progress of negotiations with the corporation, the board had decided to release back to its members the money that had been withheld.

He said New Zealand would receive a "substantial" amount of money back.

"The amount of money that was held back specifically in relation to the match in Kenya will now be refunded to New Zealand which was US$2 million ($3 million) but there is another amount withheld," Mani said.

"There is a claim against ICC. We need to know that we have sufficient money to meet that claim if that claim is successful. So we have held a certain amount of money from everyone."

England's reluctance to tour Zimbabwe in November for security reasons was discussed.

The board decided teams are expected to keep their tour obligations and failure to do so will result in a penalty of a minimum of US$2 million and possible ICC suspension.

For a country to withdraw without punishment a country's Government must provide clear direction not to tour.

The chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, David Morgan, said it had no security concerns over Zimbabwe at present.

He said his board would now meet to decide whether the tour would go ahead.