ICC suspends USA Cricket membership; here’s if they can play in multi-nation events and the LA Olympics

Dubai: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced the suspension of USA Cricket’s membership with immediate effect, saying the decision has been taken after a “thorough review of affairs and extensive engagement with key stakeholders over the past year”.

In a media statement, the global governing body blamed the USA Cricket for repeated and continued breaches of its obligations as a ICC member.

The decision comes in the build-up to cricket’s return to Olympics calendar through Los Angeles Games 2028, as the ICC has allowed USA’s national teams to participate in its competitions and prepare for the extravaganza.

“The decision, taken by the ICC Board during its meeting earlier, was based on USA Cricket’s repeated and continued breaches of its obligations as a ICC Member under the ICC’s Constitution,” the ICC said.

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“These include, but are not limited to, the failure to implement a functional governance structure, lack of progress toward achieving National Governing Body status with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), and significant actions that have caused reputational damage to cricket in the United States and around the world," it said.

The global governing body said the action was necessary to protect the “long term interests of the game” and that its top priority is to ensure that the athletes and the sport are unaffected by the suspension.

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“ICC Board has decided that USA’s national teams will retain their right to participate in ICC events, including preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA28),” the ICC said.

“The management and administration of USA national teams will temporarily be overseen by the ICC and/or its designated representatives to ensure continued support for the players and maintain momentum towards Olympic inclusion.” “This approach reflects the ICC’s firm commitment to upholding the best interests of cricketers in the USA and the sustenance of a High-performance & Player development program which will seek to elevate the stature and capabilities of players representing the USA,” it added.

The governing body said its Normalisation Committee, which is supported by the ICC’s management, will “outline the steps required for the suspension on USA Cricket to be lifted and its membership rights restored".

“These will include demonstrable and specific changes to USA Cricket’s governance structure, operations and overall status in the Cricket ecosystem. The Normalisation Committee will also monitor USA Cricket’s progress and provide consultatory support,” it added.

Despite being the co-hosts of last year’s T20 World Cup in the Americas, the USA Cricket was placed on notice at the ICC’s annual general meeting in 2024 “for non-compliance with ICC Membership Criteria and given 12 months to remedy that non-compliance”.