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ICC Proposes Full USA Cricket Board Resignation To Secure LA28 Olympic Spot

Jatin

USA Cricket is on thin ice [Source: @Vipintiwari952/x.com]USA Cricket is on thin ice [Source: @Vipintiwari952/x.com]

There is a storm brewing in American cricket and this time, it is coming from the top. With the clock ticking for the LA28 Olympics, the ICC has decided it is time to step in and clean house and the target is USA Cricket (USAC).

ICC Urges USA Cricket Board To Resign For LA28 Compliance

With the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) breathing down their necks, the ICC has rolled out a game plan to overhaul USAC's leadership and fix its messy governance as reported by ESPNcricinfo.

Cricket’s entry into the 2028 Olympics was supposed to be the sport’s big American breakthrough. The sport made it to the LA28 roster in 2023 thanks to its global following, especially from the Indian sub-continent.

As hosts, the USA are expected to field both men’s and women’s teams. But there is a catch. USAC still doesn’t have official National Governing Body (NGB) recognition from the USOPC, which is non-negotiable for Olympic participation.

ICC Lays Down The Roadmap

With warnings falling on deaf ears and the USOPC growing increasingly frustrated, the ICC has now rolled up its sleeves. In a strongly worded email dated July 10, ICC General Counsel Jonathan Hall outlined a six-step roadmap to put USAC’s house in order. This plan came straight from the ICC’s Normalisation Committee led by none other than Jay Shah and was backed by the USOPC.

Step one? A major shake-up of the USAC Board. Out go the current independent directors and in come three fresh faces including one mandatory female director. These changes are just the beginning. The existing board, including current chair Venu Pisike, will eventually have to step down.

Cooling-Off And Cleaning Up

Once the new independent directors are brought in, the rest of the board will be expected to step aside and take a mandatory two-year cooling-off period before they are even allowed to stand for elections again.

After the board exits stage left, the path to NGB recognition will finally open up. But that’s not all. A complete rewrite of the USAC constitution is also on the cards. In short, this is a governance overhaul from top to bottom.

USOPC Makes Its Stand Clear

An earlier email from USOPC official David Patterson pulled no punches. He made it crystal clear that unless the board is reset, NGB certification is off the table. In fact, he hinted that if USAC doesn’t get its act together, the USOPC might consider bringing in a completely new governing body altogether.

In Patterson’s words, “Some combinations and sets of conditions just don’t work out,” adding that “a change in the board needs to be a change in culture.”

USAC Digs Its Heels In

But not everyone is ready to walk back to the pavilion. In a July 13 meeting, USAC chair Pisike said that a “majority” of the current USA Cricket board members weren’t ready to resign. He later echoed that sentiment in Singapore during a face-off with the ICC ahead of its annual conference.

Pisike is pushing for continued dialogue instead of a clean sweep. He argues that simply replacing the board won’t magically fix things. “Right now the issue is USAC’s internal issues,” he said. “But there’s no guarantee replacing the Board will be the solution.”

As it stands, the ICC has made its intentions clear but there is still room for negotiation. While the roadmap may not be the final word, it’s definitely a strong bouncer aimed at USAC’s leadership. Whether they duck or take it on the chin remains to be seen.