ICC to suspend USA Cricket board

The ICC has finally decided to suspend USA Cricket (USAC), in the process hitting the reset button as it attempts to overhaul the leadership and governance structure of the sport in a key market. The decision was taken by the ICC Board after a virtual meeting on Tuesday. USAC's suspension will not impact USA's participation in the T20 World Cup starting in February in India and Sri Lanka

While the specific reason for the suspension has not yet been confirmed, it comes just over two months after the ICC, at its annual general meeting in July, had granted USAC three months to hold "free and fair elections" and carry out "comprehensive" governance reforms. At the time, the ICC reiterated that USAC would continue to remain "on notice", as it has been since July 2024. The ICC Board also warned USAC that it reserved the right to take any action it deemed fit based on the progress of reforms. USAC chairman Venu Pisike told ESPNcricinfo that there had been "no communication" yet from ICC on the suspension.

The suspension does not have an immediate impact on cricket being part of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The three-month reprieve had come close on the heels of the ICC drawing a "roadmap" to facilitate USAC in securing national governing body (NGB) status from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), which is mandatory for all sports that were added to LA28 Games. As hosts, USA are expected to be one of the six teams to contest for medals in both men's and women's categories.

That roadmap, which comprises six steps, was drawn by the ICC's Normalisation Committee, headed by chairman Jay Shah. Prior to that, the committee met USAC top brass Pisike (chairman) and Johnathan Atkeison (CEO) twice - first in April virtually and then in person in June. The roadmap called for USAC to start the revamp by bringing in three new independent directors to replace the incumbents on the Board. Following that the USAC Board would step down and prompt fresh elections. At this point USAC would apply for NGB status.

Simultaneously, the ICC also said a comprehensive review and reform of the USA Cricket Constitution "shall be undertaken" in close consultation with the Independent Directors and relevant ICC stakeholders.

It is not yet clear who will oversee the operations of cricket in the country now. The development will likely further escalate the concerns of players recently impacted by USAC's move to terminate its contract with American Cricket Enterprise (ACE), its commercial partner and owner of Major League and Minor League Cricket. Last week ACE opted to legally challenge the termination. Former New Zealand allrounder Corey Anderson, who moved to the USA and became eligible to play there since 2022, and is now the operational director of USA Cricketers Association, said the differences between USAC and ACE had put players in "limbo" and "uncertain of their futures.