ICC suspends USA Cricket: Here’s why
By Parth Dhall | Sep 23, 2025 | 10:47 PM
**ICC Suspends USA Cricket in Bid to Revamp Leadership and Governance**
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended USA Cricket (USAC) as part of efforts to overhaul the leadership and governance of cricket in the United States. The decision was made during a virtual meeting of the ICC Board on Tuesday.
Despite the suspension, USA’s participation in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka in February 2024, will remain unaffected.
**Governance Reforms: ICC’s Ultimatum to USA Cricket**
The suspension follows a three-month deadline given by the ICC to USAC to conduct “free and fair elections” and implement “comprehensive” governance reforms. Since July of the previous year, USAC had been “on notice” until these reforms were completed.
The ICC Board stated that it “reserved the right to take any action” depending on the progress of these changes, leading to the current suspension.
**Olympic Participation Remains Unchanged**
According to ESPNcricinfo, the suspension will not impact cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. The ICC recently devised a “roadmap” to assist USAC in obtaining National Governing Body (NGB) status from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
This six-step plan, developed by the ICC’s Normalisation Committee, includes the appointment of three new independent directors to the USAC Board.
**Future Course: What’s Next for Cricket in the USA?**
Following the appointment of the new independent directors, the current USAC Board will resign and call for fresh elections. USAC will then apply for NGB status.
Additionally, a “complete review and reform” of the USA Cricket Constitution is planned, to be conducted in consultation with the new Independent Directors and ICC stakeholders.
At this point, it remains unclear who will oversee cricket operations in the United States during the suspension period.
**Contract Dispute: USAC Terminates Partnership with ACE**
Recently, USAC terminated its contract with American Cricket Enterprise (ACE), the commercial partner and owner of Major League Cricket and Minor League Cricket. This move has drawn criticism from players, many of whom feel caught in the middle of the dispute.
In response, ACE has decided to legally challenge the termination, adding further complexity to the ongoing issues affecting these leagues.
**2024: A Historic Year for USA Cricket**
Despite governance challenges, the USA team is set to compete in the 2026 T20 World Cup.
The year 2024 marked several landmark achievements for USA Cricket. In May, the team secured its first-ever bilateral T20I series win against a Full Member side, defeating Bangladesh 2-1 in Houston.
The USA also co-hosted the T20 World Cup alongside the West Indies. In a notable moment, the team defeated Pakistan in a thrilling Super Over at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. However, losses against other teams eventually ended USA’s campaign in the tournament.
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USA Cricket now faces a critical period of restructuring and reform as it aims to stabilize governance and build on its recent on-field successes.
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