Cricket

USA Cricket (USAC) has appointed Johnathan Atkeison as its new CEO, a move that fulfills one of two critical requirements set by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to avoid disqualification as an ICC Associate member.The ICC had earlier placed USAC "on notice" for not having a fit-for-purpose governance and administrative system. The other requirement for USAC to avoid disqualification is to have governance norms set by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), which is necessary for it to earn the National Governing Body (NGB) status.Atkeison, who most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer of USA Rugby, has over 15 years of national governing body experience. He is credited for leading USA Rugby through a financial restructuring in 2020. His tenure as USAC CEO will start from August 1."I'm honored to join the team at USA Cricket. It's an incredible time for the sport here in the United States with the historic performance of the men's national team in the recent T20 World Cup, the completion of the second season of Major League Cricket, and the first opportunity to showcase cricket in the Olympics here on home soil during the LA28 games," Atkeison said in a media release."Our goal is to build a world-class organization to capitalize on that momentum, and firmly establish cricket's position in the American sporting landscape. The passion the cricket community has for the sport is amazing, and the enthusiasm is infectious. I can't wait to get started."Ahead of its AGM, the ICC circulated a note titled "Associate Member Membership Update" to all its members, wherein it noticed that USOPC had "expressed serious concerns" over the governance of USAC. It was the second time in the year that the ICC put USAC on notice and gave them 12 months to make rectifications."The board agreed that a normalisation committee comprising of board and management representatives will be set up to oversee and monitor USA Cricket's compliance roadmap and the ICC board will reserve its right to suspend or expel the member for continued non-compliance," the ICC had said in a statement after the AGM earlier this week.

USA Cricket Directors Accuse Chairman of Unethical PracticesUSA Cricket (USAC) directors Kuljit Singh, Arjun Gona, and Patricia Whittaker have sent a detailed email to the International Cricket Council (ICC) accusing USAC chairman Venu Pisike of a range of unethical practices. The allegations include the wrongful termination of the CEO, creating a hostile work environment, systemic corruption aimed at electoral gains, and other misconduct.The email, sent after the ICC board meeting in Colombo, describes various infractions by Pisike and his allies. These include charges of unethical behavior such as the unauthorized termination of CEO Dr Noor Murad and fostering a "toxic and pathetic" workplace atmosphere. They also accuse Pisike of unconstitutional appointments, manipulating election processes, and financial opacity.The email elaborates on several key accusations:* Unethical Termination: Dismissal of CEO Dr Noor Murad without proper cause.* Hostile Environment: Allegations of creating a toxic work environment that led to the departure of key staff members.* Unconstitutional Appointments: Bypassing proper procedures for hiring key positions.* Systemic Corruption: Claims of electoral manipulation and financial non-transparency.* Intimidation Tactics: Efforts to silence dissenting members and remove minority members.According to the Cricbuzz report, Singh and Gona's recurrent dissenting emails to the ICC were cited as the primary reason for their temporary suspension from USAC, made public on July 12.The communication further alleges that voters were disenfranchised during the constitutional amendment process and that elections were corrupted through biased selection of a membership management company. It also accuses the misuse of legal funds and claims that attempts to resolve issues with American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), owners of Major League Cricket, were sabotaged.Specific allegations were also made against Srini Salver, the male player director and chair of the cricket committee, including conflicts of interest, corruption, and manipulating player selections for personal gain.USAC has not commented on the allegations at this time. The situation remains critical, with the ICC closely monitoring the developments after issuing a suspension warning and imposing sanctions on USAC.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has issued a stern warning to USA Cricket (USAC), threatening to place it "On Notice" for non-compliance with its Associate membership status. This comes just a month after the conclusion of the historic T20 World Cup, which was co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies.The ICC has identified two areas of non-compliance:1. Governance Structure: USAC has not met the governance norms set by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), which is necessary for it to earn National Governing Body (NGB) status. This status is mandatory for sports included in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.2. Administrative Structure: USAC lacks a "fit-for-purpose administrative structure," including a vacant CEO position and a lack of independent directors on its Board.The ICC has noted that the USOPC has expressed serious concerns about USAC's governance model. If USAC fails to achieve NGB certification, the USOPC may recognize an alternate NGB for cricket, which could put USAC in breach of ICC membership criteria.This is the second time this year that the ICC has raised concerns about USAC's compliance. In March, the ICC warned USAC about its lack of USOPC compliance and the absence of a CEO. The ICC Board even considered suspending USAC's membership but decided to give it a "last chance" to remedy the issues.As a punitive measure, the ICC has stopped the annual funding USAC receives until it fulfills all membership criteria. The ICC has also recommended stronger sanctions, including placing USAC "On Notice."In response, USAC has appointed an independent director and Treasurer, Pintoo Shah. However, the ICC maintains that USAC has not fully remedied the non-compliance issues and remains at risk of being placed "On Notice."