ICC pledges to fund USA cricketers amid USAC dysfunction

The ICC will work closely with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPCO) to make sure the country's cricketers are not affected by the ongoing dysfunction at USA Cricket (USAC), as they prepare for a spate of on-field challenges.

The ICC suspended USAC in September for what it said were serious breaches of the ICC's membership criteria. Soon after USAC filed for bankruptcy, having earlier terminated a long-term commercial partnership with American Cricket Enterprise (ACE).

The ICC has now, effectively, taken over the welfare of players in the national set-up including the key commitment to provide financial support. "[The ICC] is ready to provide funding for, and, if need be, run all aspects of the USA High Performance Programme during USAC's suspension, including honouring USA Cricket's obligations to pay the players selected and contracted to play for the USA teams," the global body said in a statement.

Teams from the USA are scheduled to play in the Under-19 World Cup in Zimbabwe from January, in the Men's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February-March, and eventually in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028 (LA28). In a strongly worded note, the ICC also made clear it would not allow "the dysfunction of USAC to compromise USA's participation and competitiveness at global events, or the work of the ICC in cricket's return to the Olympics starting with the LA 2028 Olympic Games."

The ICC revealed it had offered to provide a loan to USAC after the bankruptcy filing that included the payment of player and High-Performance staff salaries. "Unfortunately, that offer was not accepted by USA Cricket. The ICC is now therefore looking to see if it can make those payments directly, where appropriate, on behalf of USA Cricket."

The ICC has also moved to ensure there is no fallout from the USAC crisis on cricket's participation at LA28 - the first time it is being played at the Games in a century - by working closely with USOPCO in developing a high-performance programme for players.

"Our foremost responsibility is to the players who represent the United States on the world stage," an ICC spokesperson said. "The bankruptcy proceedings initiated by USA Cricket should not, and will not, derail their preparation for ICC events or the LA28 Olympic Games. The ICC stands ready to manage and fund the High-Performance Programme and ensure all National team players continue to receive the support they deserve.

"We continue to work closely with the USOPC to build a robust and stable high-performance pathway for LA28. The future of USA's players, and the sport's growth in a key market, remains a major priority for the ICC."

The ICC's Normalisation Committee for the USA will continue its work in trying to resolve long-standing governance issues in the country. The sanctioning of domestic cricket tournaments, including Major League Cricket, will be handled directly by the ICC.