(ESPNCRICINFO) – THE ICC has initiated steps to “reset” and overhaul the leadership and governance structure at USA Cricket (USAC) at the behest of US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC). The development comes as part of the need for USAC to secure national governing body (NGB) status from USOPC which is mandatory for all sports that were added to LA28 Games.
In 2023, cricket was among five new sports added to the LA28 roster by the International Olympics Committee (IOC) based on the large audience the sport generates, especially in the Indian sub-continent. As hosts, the USA are expected to be one of the six teams to contest for medals in both men’s and women’s categories. However, USAC is yet to satisfy all the norms set by USOPC to achieve NGB certification.
Having already warned USAC last July of serious implications, including the danger of being derecognised as the governing body for cricket in the US, the ICC has now rolled up its sleeves and laid out a “roadmap” in an email to USAC on July 10. That communication, sent by ICC general counsel Jonathan Hall, and accessed by ESPNcricinfo, comes nearly a week prior to the ICC AGM, which will be held in Singapore on July 20 where the ICC Board will discuss the USAC issue.
The roadmap, which comprises six steps, was drawn by the ICC’s Normalisation Committee which coordinated with USOPC. The Normalisation panel, which is headed by ICC chair Jay Shah, met senior USAC top brass twice – first in April on an online call and then in Los Angeles in June. In both meetings, the USAC, which was represented by its chair Venu Pisike and CEO Johnathan Atkeison, was told of the chief concerns of the USOPC and how they could be remedied.
“A stage-wise approach shall be implemented to restore regulatory compliance and functional integrity to USA Cricket, with the ultimate aim of securing National Governing Body (NGB) recognition by the USOPC and eligibility for LA28 Olympic participation,” the ICC said in the July 10 email. “The Committee is committed to helping to restore the integrity and credibility of USA Cricket. The roadmap provides a structured and lawful pathway to achieving NGB status and ensuring that USA Cricket is eligible to participate in LA28 as a fully compliant Olympic sporting body.”
The roadmap
The first step of the roadmap involves the USAC removing its existing independent directors and replacing them with the three new names. The ICC “in consultation and cooperation” with USOPC would help finalise the three new directors who would need to fulfil the norms under the USAC constitution.
The USOPC has made it mandatory that one of the three new directors “must” be a female member. The USAC Board comprises 10 directors including Pisike, who was appointed chair in July 2023 and whose terms ends this December. The others comprise Anj Balusu, Atul Rai, Kuljeet Singh Nijjar, Arjun Gona, two former USA players Srinivas Salver and Nadia Gruny, along with two independent directors Pintoo Shah and David Haubert. The third independent director’s role held by Patricia Whittaker was terminated in December 2024 and the position has not been filled since then.
The Normalisation Committee has also said that all existing directors would need to serve a mandatory two-year cooling-off period, which could also be extended further once the USAC constitution is updated, before they can contest elections for any governance post. “This shall be subject to review and any longer period of ineligibility that may be required under the revised USA Cricket Constitution, ICC regulations, or USOPC governance requirements,” the ICC email said.