The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended USA Cricket’s membership with immediate effect, citing repeated violations of its obligations as an ICC member. The decision, announced on Tuesday, comes just three years before cricket’s anticipated return to the Olympics at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

Following a comprehensive review and extensive engagement with key stakeholders over the past year, the ICC Board made the decision during its recent meeting. The ICC highlighted several breaches of its Constitution by USA Cricket, including:

• 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).
• Actions causing significant reputational damage to cricket in the United States and globally.

The ICC emphasized that the suspension is critical to safeguarding the “long-term interests of the game.” However, it reassured stakeholders that athletes would not be adversely affected:

“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).”

To ensure continuity, the ICC and/or its designated representatives will temporarily oversee the management and administration of USA national teams. This measure aims to support players and maintain momentum toward Olympic inclusion while fostering a robust high-performance and player development program to elevate the stature of USA cricketers.

The ICC’s Normalisation Committee will outline steps for lifting the suspension, focusing on governance reforms and operational restructuring to restore USA Cricket’s membership rights. This follows a prior warning at the ICC’s 2024 annual general meeting, where USA Cricket was given 12 months to address non-compliance with membership criteria, despite co-hosting the T20 World Cup in the Americas last year.