American cricket in jeopardy, a victim of poor governance

On occasions, this column has expressed its concerns about governance standards in cricket. Sadly, another occasion has arisen. On Aug. 21, following a board meeting, USA Cricket announced the termination of its commercial agreement with American Cricket Enterprises, citing “multiple material breaches of the term sheet signed between the parties in May 2019.” 

The agreement was set for 50 years. It granted ACE the exclusive rights to own and operate Major League Cricket, the top-tier T20 league in the US, along with the Minor Cricket League. The deal also covered commercialization of the national teams and plans to develop cricket infrastructure in the US with dedicated facilities.

The move has plunged cricket in the US into disarray and an uncertain future, with potentially serious and damaging consequences. At stake is not only the future of cricket’s growth, development and investment in the US, the future of USAC and the administration of the sport, but also cricket’s place at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. USAC and ACE have been in open dispute for some months, while USAC’s governing board has been subject to demands for its removal and replacement. The calls have been rejected by a majority of the board.

The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee requires that a properly functioning, compliant and constituted national governing body is in place since, without one, teams cannot take part in the Olympics. At the end of June, the USOPC communicated its desire for USAC board’s membership to be renewed. Administratively, amendments to USAC’s constitution, designed to ensure compliance with USOPC’s strict demands regarding board composition, were approved by USAC’s membership in June 2025. This step in the right