The International Cricket Council has suspended USA Cricket’s membership, citing repeated governance failures and reputational concerns.
The decision, announced late on Tuesday, takes effect immediately. Yet the suspension will not prevent American teams from playing, a crucial exemption with the men’s side preparing for the 2026 T20 World Cup and the build-up to cricket’s Olympic return in Los Angeles in 2028.
In a statement, the ICC said the governing body had acted after “repeated and continued breaches” of its constitution. The charges included failure to put in place a “functional governance structure” and little progress towards recognition by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
The ICC also pointed to what it called “significant actions that have caused reputational damage to cricket in the United States and around the world,” though it did not elaborate.
American cricket has struggled for decades with infighting and administrative missteps, even as the game has grown in popularity among diaspora communities. In 2024, the ICC placed USA Cricket “on notice” for non-compliance and gave the board a year to implement reforms. That deadline has now lapsed.
“The suspension is an unfortunate but necessary step to protect the long-term interests of the game,” the ICC said. It added that its “top priority remains ensuring that the athletes and the sport itself are not impacted.”
To that end, the ICC will oversee the men’s national team management directly until further notice. The side made a historic run to the Super Eight stage at the 2024 T20 World Cup, securing automatic qualification for the 2026 edition.
For fans and players, the immediate relief is clear: the team will not be barred from competing on the world stage. But the suspension leaves deeper questions unanswered about whether the sport’s leaders in the United States can build the stable structures needed to sustain cricket as it heads towards its Olympic debut in Los Angeles.
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