ICC Suspends USA Cricket Membership Over Governance Failures
- TPP
- Sep 25
- 3 min read
Despite being an ICC Associate Member since 1965 and reaching the Super 8 in the 2024 T20 World Cup, USA Cricket now faces suspension over governance failures.
In a dramatic development, the International Cricket Council (ICC) — the global governing body for cricket — has suspended USA Cricket’s membership with immediate effect, citing repeated and continued breaches of its obligations as an ICC Member under the Council’s Constitution.
The decision, announced after the ICC Board’s meeting, comes as a major setback for cricket in the United States, especially ahead of the sport’s highly anticipated return to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028 (LA28).
According to the ICC’s official statement, USA Cricket failed to meet several mandatory obligations required of an ICC Member. These included:
Failure to implement a functional governance structure (the system of rules, practices, and processes by which an organization is directed and controlled).
Lack of progress toward achieving National Governing Body (NGB) status with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) — a critical requirement for any sport to be officially included in the Olympic Games.
Actions that caused reputational damage to cricket in the United States and globally.
The ICC emphasized that suspension was an “unfortunate but necessary step to protect the long-term interests of the game.”
The suspension was not sudden. At the 2024 ICC Annual General Meeting (AGM), USA Cricket had already been placed “on notice” for non-compliance with membership criteria. The organization was given 12 months to address the shortcomings.
By July 2025, USA Cricket had managed to address five of the eight flagged issues related to governance, finance, and administration. However, the ICC Board warned that continued non-compliance could lead to suspension. Despite assurances, the Board concluded that insufficient progress had been made.
From now, the management and administration of the USA national teams will temporarily be overseen by the ICC and/or its designated representatives. The ICC will form a Normalization Committee, which will:
Outline specific steps for reinstatement.
Demand demonstrable and structural changes to USA Cricket’s governance and operations.
Monitor progress and provide consultative support.
The suspension has come as a major roadblock for USA Cricket’s ambitions, particularly its World Cup participation and Olympic aspirations. Cricket is set to return to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028 after a 128-year absence, and as host, the USA was supposed to feature automatically.
Despite suspension, the ICC confirmed that USA’s national teams will retain their right to participate in ICC events. This includes:
The Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka (February 2026).
Preparations for Los Angeles 2028.
Thus, while governance issues affect the board, players will not be penalized, ensuring the development of cricket in the USA continues at the international level.
The ICC clarified that when USA Cricket was kept “on notice” earlier, it was specifically instructed not to take any actions that might:
Jeopardize cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics.
Bring the ICC or the sport into disrepute.
However, continued governance lapses forced the suspension.
Johnathan Atkeison, Chief Executive of USA Cricket, expressed disappointment:
“We were informed by the ICC of the decision to suspend USA Cricket. Obviously, we are disappointed, but we are awaiting further information regarding the conditions for reinstatement so that we can evaluate the path forward.”
USA Cricket has been an Associate Member of the ICC since 1965 and hosted the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, where the team reached the Super 8 stage, securing automatic qualification for the 2026 tournament. The suspension therefore does not erase USA’s growing presence in the cricketing landscape but puts its administrative credibility under serious scrutiny.
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