T20 World Cup: USA's Shayan Jahangir Calls Out ICC Over Lack Of Support For Associate Nations

Associate nations like the USA, Nepal, the Netherlands, and most recently Italy have made the cricketing world stand up and take notice at the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. The Netherlands came close to beating Pakistan in the tournament opener, while the USA troubled India far more than expected. Nepal arguably produced the best performance by an associate nation so far, falling just 5 runs short of defeating England. Now, USA batter Shayan Jahangir has criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC) for its lack of financial support to associate nations in their bid to make cricket a truly global sport.

"The exposure and the kind of funding that we get from the ICC is lacking. I think we've been given the tag of Associate nation, but we are nothing short of a great team. As you've seen in this World Cup, all the teams tagged as Associate nations have put on a show and given a very tough time to the big teams," Jahangir said during a press conference ahead of USA's Group A clash against the Netherlands.

Jahangir believes the performances of associate nations in this T20 World Cup have proven that they are already pushing the best sides in the world. He pointed out that these efforts have come despite very little financial backing from the ICC.

"I would say we have not been watered properly. We haven't been nurtured properly. But again, it's our players who are putting in the hard yards. Without financial resources and infrastructure, I think if the ICC pays more attention to us and all the Associate nations, you'll see more big games and you'll see these teams changing their tag from Associate nations to big teams as well," Jahangir added.

"We almost beat India, having them 75 for 6 - again, Surya (Kumar Yadav) played the way he did. But if we had seized those moments, we would have beaten the powerhouse of a World Cup team," he said, recalling how the USA came close to defeating India in their opening match.

"Preparation is very important, and it has a lot to do with funding as well. We don't have the money to organise those competitions or play on big grounds. If we had that funding from the ICC - and this is a request from me personally - to really look into it, I'm telling you, there's so much talent in Associate cricket," he added.

Jahangir also cited examples from other teams, such as Nepal, where Dipendra Singh Airee once made headlines for scoring a 9-ball fifty.

"There are so many cricketers who are very talented but not given the exposure. For example, there's one guy from Nepal who scored a nine-ball half-century [referring to Dipendra Singh Airee]. If that had happened at the highest level, he would have received recognition worldwide. Yet he's still struggling to play league cricket globally. So I think exposure, funding, and a little push are required - and hopefully, we'll get it."

Topics mentioned in this article

USA Shayan Jahangir International Cricket Council T20 World Cup 2026 Cricket