The tournament collapsed following the arrest (and subsequent conviction) of Allen Stanford for an $8 billion fraud, part of which funded the prize money for the Super Series.

Before it began, the tournament was threatened with cancellation due to a row between Digicel, the West Indies Cricket Board's (WICB) main sponsor, and Stanford.

Initially, South Africa had been planned to play against the Stanford team for a prize of US$5 million, but that effort fell through after scheduling conflicts with the WICB.

Stanford initially wished to invite Sri Lanka, India, Australia and South Africa to come and play a single-elimination tournament in Antigua, with the winner facing his all-star team.

[4] Criticism was also levelled at the floodlights in the Antigua pitch, which were low enough to obstruct the vision of fielding players, with Middlesex captain Shaun Udal stating "I have not known a ground where the visibility is as bad".

[10] Commentators were generally positive about the success of the tournament within its host venue, with Jonathan Agnew claiming that it was organised significantly better than the previous World Cup, also held in the West Indies.

On 14 August 2008, the All-Stars selection panel, which was led by cricketing legend Sir Viv Richards, and which included fellow West Indies cricketing luminaries as Sir Everton Weekes, Curtly Ambrose, Lance Gibbs, Richie Richardson, Andy Roberts and Courtney Walsh, announced 17 players who would play under the Stanford SuperStars colours in the Super Series.

[12] Chris Gayle (c) Daren Powell Jerome Taylor Sylvester Joseph (Vice-captain) Chad Hampson Dave Mohammed Kieron Pollard Rayad Emrit Ramnaresh Sarwan Shivnarine Chanderpaul Lennox Cush Andre Fletcher Sulieman Benn Lionel Baker Lindon James Support Staff: Coach, Head: Eldine Baptiste Coach, Asst: Roger Harper Coach, Fielding: Julien Fountain Coach, Manager: Cardigan Connor Analyst: Robin Singh Trainer: Hector Martinez Physiotherapist: Kim Jackson Physiotherapist Julio Gonsalves Physical Therapist: Virgil Browne (Dwayne Bravo (injury), and Xavier Marshall (failed drug test)[13] were named to the initial team under the initial selection procedures, but withdrew before the Series was played.

[15] Kevin Pietersen, Hampshire, (captain) James Anderson, Lancashire Ian Bell, Warwickshire Ravi Bopara, Essex Stuart Broad, Nottinghamshire Paul Collingwood, Durham Alastair Cook, Essex Andrew Flintoff, Lancashire Stephen Harmison, Durham Samit Patel, Nottinghamshire Matt Prior, Sussex Owais Shah, Middlesex Graeme Swann, Nottinghamshire Ryan Sidebottom, Nottinghamshire Luke Wright, Sussex Rishi Bachan Samuel Badree Darren Bravo Kevon Cooper Daron Cruickshank Daren Ganga (captain) Sherwin Ganga Justin Guillen Amit Jaggernauth Richard Kelly William Perkins Denesh Ramdin Ravi Rampaul Lendl Simmons Navin Stewart Neil Carter Neil Dexter Steven Finn Billy Godleman Tyron Henderson Ed Joyce Murali Kartik Dawid Malan Eoin Morgan Tim Murtagh David Nash Alan Richardson Ben Scott Andrew Strauss Shaun Udal (captain) The matches were well attended, but the press (especially the British contingent) was mainly very sceptical.

"Of all the short-form matches currently being organised," wrote Stephen Brenkley in The Independent on 26 October 2008, "the conclusion is easily reached that Stanford Superstars v England is the most offensive.

"[16] It has since been alleged that Stanford's creation of the tournament was primarily a method to launder his income from the fraudulent business schemes for which he is now serving a penal sentence in the US.