Dubai, September 23, 2025: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended USA Cricket (USAC), citing failures to implement long-promised governance reforms. The decision was taken by the ICC Board during a virtual meeting on Tuesday, effectively pressing the reset button on the administration of the sport in one of its key emerging markets.
Importantly, the suspension will not affect the USA men’s and women’s teams’ participation in the ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin in February 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.
While the ICC has not publicly disclosed specific reasons for the suspension, the move comes barely two months after the global governing body gave USAC a three-month deadline to conduct “free and fair elections” and carry out “comprehensive” reforms. The ultimatum, issued at the ICC’s annual meeting in July, also placed USAC on formal notice, with the ICC Board warning it reserved the right to intervene if progress stalled.
USAC chairman Venu Pisike told ESPNcricinfo that there had been “no communication” yet from the ICC regarding the suspension.
The suspension does not immediately impact cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, where the United States is expected to field men’s and women’s teams as hosts. However, USAC must secure recognition as a national governing body (NGB) by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) — a process now in jeopardy.
To facilitate that process, the ICC’s Normalisation Committee, chaired by BCCI secretary Jay Shah, had earlier outlined a six-step roadmap. This included appointing three new independent directors, dissolving the existing board, holding fresh elections, and reforming the USAC Constitution in consultation with the ICC. Meetings between the ICC and USAC leadership in April and June this year had appeared to set that process in motion, but little visible progress followed.
It remains unclear who will now oversee cricket operations in the U.S. The suspension comes amid mounting tensions between USAC and American Cricket Enterprise (ACE) — the commercial partner behind Major League Cricket (MLC) and Minor League Cricket (MiLC). USAC’s recent decision to terminate its contract with ACE has already triggered legal action by the latter.
The dispute has left players in a state of uncertainty. Former New Zealand allrounder Corey Anderson, now the operational director of the USA Cricketers Association, described the situation as leaving players “in limbo” and “uncertain of their futures.”
The ICC’s intervention signals its intent to safeguard cricket’s growth in the U.S. market, but also underscores the fragile state of governance in a country viewed as crucial to the game’s global expansion.
