ICC suspends USACA over ‘significant concerns’

The ICC board has suspended the membership of the USA Cricket Association with immediate effect. The ICC made its decision based on the findings of a review group it had constituted to look into the status and activities of the USACA, and after meeting USACA representatives during the ongoing ICC annual conference week.

According to an ICC release, the review group “had expressed significant concerns about the governance, finance, reputation and cricketing activities of USACA”.

The suspension will cut the USACA off from ICC funding, and rule it ineligible to determine whether events staged in the USA are given approved status or not. As per the ICC operating manual, the ICC will take over that function.

Despite the USACA’s suspension, the USA national team will be allowed to take part in next month’s World T20 Qualifier in Ireland and Scotland. The USA Under-19 team will also be eligible to participate in the Americas U-19 Championship in Bermuda.

“The ICC Board has made this difficult decision after careful consideration and in the best interest of the game and all cricketers in the USA,” the ICC chairman N Srinivasan said. “The country has tremendous potential but because of governance, financial and cricketing challenges, the opportunity to grow the game is not being properly nurtured.

“The ICC Board had put USACA on notice in its January meeting this year and had hoped that it would show some urgency to address and improve in the areas that were identified as weaknesses. Unfortunately, the response to date has been inadequate and it has proved necessary for the ICC Board to take further action.”

To have its membership reinstated, the USACA will need to show the ICC board that it has addressed “conditions relating to governance, finance and its cricket activities”, with the ICC chief executive David Richardson - assisted by representatives from the BCCI, ECB, CA and WICB - monitoring its progress.