The ICC has pressed pause on USA Cricket (USAC), suspending the national board after a virtual directors’ meeting on Tuesday. For players and fans the headline news is simple: the decision does not affect the United States’ place at February’s men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Why the suspension? The global body has not published a single-line trigger, yet the move lands only a couple of months after USAC was given three months to hold “free and fair elections” and complete “comprehensive” governance reforms. Back in July the ICC said USAC remained “on notice”, adding it could step in if deadlines slipped. This week, it finally has.
USAC chair Venu Pisike told ESPNcricinfo on Wednesday there had been “no communication” from Dubai ahead of the suspension. He is waiting for paperwork before deciding the board’s next step.
Olympics picture unchanged
For now the Los Angeles 2028 plan—cricket is set to be on the programme in both men’s and women’s formats—stays intact. To compete in LA, USAC must gain National Governing Body (NGB) status from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee. That process was already being shepherded by an ICC “roadmap”.
Drawn up by the ICC’s normalisation committee, chaired by Jay Shah, the six-step plan asked USAC to appoint three independent directors, see the sitting board step aside, hold new elections and only then apply for NGB recognition. A full review of the USAC constitution “shall be undertaken” in parallel. Tuesday’s suspension suggests progress stalled somewhere along that route.
Who runs the game now?
That is, frankly, unclear. The ICC can choose to install an interim management team—something it has done in other member nations—but has not said whether it will do so in the United States. Domestic players and coaches have already been bracing for change following USAC’s decision in August to terminate its commercial agreement with American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), the company behind Major League and Minor League Cricket.
ACE has filed a legal challenge against the termination. Former New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson, now operational director of the USA Cricketers Association, told reporters last week the dispute has left players in “limbo” and “uncertain of their futures”. The suspension will hardly steady those nerves.
Why does it matter?
The USA is one of cricket’s growth markets—deep pockets, a sizeable South Asian diaspora and the 2024 men’s T20 World Cup partly on home soil. Better governance, the ICC believes, is essential if the sport is to catch more than a niche audience. At the same time, administrators are wary of repeating the false starts that have dogged American cricket for decades. USAC was formed only in 2017 after its predecessor, USACA, was expelled for similar governance failings.
The path from here
What happens next hinges on how swiftly USAC can satisfy the ICC’s demands. The most immediate task is likely to be the appointment of those independent directors and a timetable for fresh elections. Failure to move quickly would risk a longer suspension, potentially complicating World Cup preparations—even if the tournament spot itself is safe—for both the men who qualified automatically as co-host and a women’s team still hunting that breakthrough on the global stage.
A note on players
For the senior men, day-to-day training continues. Minor League fixtures finished earlier this month and Major League’s next season is not due until mid-2026. Yet contracts, insurance and visa support are all routed through structures that now sit in a grey zone. “Everyone’s still turning up for gym work,” one squad member said off record, “but no one knows who signs the next pay cheque.”
Looking ahead
ICC directors meet again in November. By then it wants concrete evidence of governance reform. If USAC can deliver, suspension could be lifted quickly—Uganda and Nepal offer recent examples. If it can’t, the United States might find itself preparing for a home World Cup without a recognised board, hardly an ideal sales pitch in such a crowded sports market.
For now the ball is firmly in USAC’s half of the pitch.
