USA Cricket (USAC) has been given a temporary lifeline. At the ICC’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Singapore, the governing body decided to extend the suspension notice given to USA Cricket last year by three months.
Many expected the ICC to take a stricter route after reports emerged that chairman Jay Shah had held informal talks with USAC’s top officials, chairman Venu Pisike and CEO Johnathan Atkieson. During those discussions, the ICC, reportedly acting on the advice of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), asked for the resignation of all nine board directors.
Soon after, the ICC sent an official letter to USA Cricket, laying out what it called a "roadmap to normalisation", which is essentially a last-ditch blueprint to restore credibility and functionality within the organization. This included the appointment of three new independent directors, to be selected by the ICC in consultation with the USOPC, after the existing board members steps down.
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Also read: ICC’s AGM: Olympic qualifying, 32 Teams likely for T20 World Cup, & USA Cricket
What ICC Has Asked USA Cricket to Do?
In its media statement, the ICC made it clear that USAC is still on notice. The board has been told to carry out full governance reforms and hold free and fair elections within three months. Under a revised constitution, the USAC board will now have 12 directors instead of 10. Two of these additional seats are reserved for player representatives, taking their count to four.
Nine of the 12 positions will be up for election. The remaining three, meant for independent directors, will be appointed by the ICC and USOPC. Initially, the ICC had suggested a two-year cooling-off period for current board members, meaning they could not run again right away. But that rule has now been dropped as reported by Cricbuzz. This means most sitting directors can contest again except for Venu Pisike and Nadia Gruny, who have completed their term limits.
One area of confusion remains around player director candidate Salver. While he has played in the WICB Super50 tournament, he has not represented the USA in official ICC matches. This could make him ineligible under USOPC’s definition of an "international athlete".
The ICC also wants USAC to settle its internal legal disputes. A case was filed by directors Kuljit Nijjar, Arjun Gona, Atul Rai, and Patricia Whitaker against other board members, accusing them of poor governance. The ICC has warned that it can still take action if USAC fails to solve these issues.
Another key concern is USAC’s relationship with American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), which is the commercial rights holder of Major League Cricket. The ICC has asked both parties to work together again for the benefit of cricket in the U.S.
Lastly, USAC is still not officially recognised by the USOPC as the National Governing Body for cricket. Without that status, the USA team cannot take part in the Olympics. The USOPC had earlier said that unless there is new leadership or a new organisation altogether, it won't consider cerification.
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USA's Olympic Spot Still Uncertain
As the host country of the LA28 Olympics, the USA is expected to be given an automatic spot. But with only six teams allowed in each category, this decision is not simple.
If USA Cricket fails to follow governance reforms set by the ICC, it could face suspension. If that happens, the USA could lose its Olympic chance completely even as the host nation. The coming three months will be crucial in determining whether the USA can clean up its cricket administration in time.
