Cricket’s return to the Olympic Games in 2028 continues to be dogged by the uncertainty surrounding the governance of Cricket USA, the sports’s governing body in the US among other issues.
Last week, Cricket USA terminated its partnership wtih American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), the owners of Major League Cricklet (MLC).
They cited ‘multiple material breaches of the Term Sheet signed between the parties in May 2019′.
In a statement, Cricket USA said:
“Despite extensive dialogue, the issuance of formal breach notices, and repeated opportunities to cure defaults, USA Cricket has determined that ACE has failed to fulfill its contractual and fiduciary obligations. The breaches span critical areas, including financial commitments, infrastructure development, organizational structural, and governance responsibilities.
“USA Cricket entered into this partnership with ACE in good faith, with the shared vision of building sustainable infrastructure, providing competitive opportunities for our athletes, and creating commercial growth for the sport in America,” said Venu Pisike, USA Cricket Board Chairman.
“We are supportive for the growth and success of Major League Cricket and Minor League Cricket. But, when it comes to USA Cricket, ACE has consistently failed to meet its obligations under the agreement, which has jeopardized the broader development of cricket in United States. After years of engagement and repeated breach notices, USA Cricket has no choice but to terminate this agreement to protect the best interests of the sport and its stakeholders.
“Additionally, we also raised concerns around the circumstances under which ACE was given the contract and the usage of USA Cricket intellectual property.”
The split comes at a crucial time for Cricket USA with cricket set to be included in the LA Olympics 2028 after a 128-year absence.
Forbes journalist Tristan Lavalette, outlined how the fallout between USA Cricket and Major League Cricket’s commercial operator could affect the Olympics in an August 25th article.
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“The latest saga engulfing American cricket could have major implications on cricket’s much-celebrated Olympic return at the 2028 Los Angeles Games as pressure mounts on the sport’s governing body to act imminently.
“USA Cricket alleges several breaches, including financial commitments, infrastructure development, organizational structural and governance responsibilities. ACE refutes the allegations, saying the termination is “unlawful” and that it has “fully complied” with the contractual agreement.”
Tle turmoil could affect the Olympics scheduled to be played in Pomona, CA, 30 miles east of LA.
Plans for the venue include ensuring its use for cricket after the games.
The Kolkata Knight Riders from West Bengal play in the Indian Premier League and were set to be the stadium’s anchor tenants.
According to the Times of India reporting in April 2022:
The stadium plans include state-of-the-art training facilities, locker rooms, luxury suites, dedicated parking, concessions, field lighting and an international-grade pitch to meet the needs to host the Olympics, a contract Pomona secured in April 2025.
The Knight Riders were set to fund the playing square, outfield and drainage, practice nets, a pvilion, media center and floodlights.
But that deal is yet to be finalized according to Lavalette:
“The deal is still to be signed off between Knight Riders and Fairplex, a non-profit organization that has a partnership with the County of Los Angeles.
With private investors nervously looking on, there are fears that the USA Cricket situation could delay or even jeopardize the arrangement.”
Two organisations are looking on nervously; the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Cricket Council (ICC).
USA Cricket narrowly avoided suspension of its ICC membership a month ago and were given three months to address its governance issues, such as elections not being held to replace Board Members whose terms had expired. None have yet been held.
Other issues are bedeviling the Olympic Cricket, such as who qualifies. Each sex will have a six team tournament.
[See: Pakistan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka set to be frozen out of Olympic Cricket]
Olympic organisers are dsperate to ensure India qualify as the television market is atronomical and with it come mass advertising and corporate revenue. England and Australia will bring spectators to fill the stadium, and from countries that might bother Donald Trump less.
The qualification system proposed is to take one team from each continent and grant them an automatic place, based on current rankings and allow all others to battle it out for the remaining place.
It means only one nation, almost certainly India, will automatically qualify from Asia with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan thrown a tiny lifeline via a qualfier.
England will be handed Europe’s place.
Cricket Scotland has already assented to fold itself under the Team GB banner to allow England to participate, even though their side is in the qualification tournament for the remaining slot. Cricket Ireland and the Netheerlands don’t have that option, although apparently Northern Irish cricketers will be eligible for Team GB.
New Zealand are the victims of Australia’s preferential treatment, while South Africa will be given the African slot, with Zimbabwe and Namibia left to attempt to qualify from the 98 Associate Counties minus Scotland who’ve already given up.
Just to complicate matters, there are nine West Indian nations with Olympic recognition.
There is no plan yet on how they are going to be allowed to qualify as they are not even ICC Associate Members. In international cricket, they play as the West Indies.
So it looks like one place will be made available for 105 teams to battle for, assuming the ICC allocates America’s slot to the hone side USA, leaving just 96 Associate Members
A line up of Eng;and, India, South Africa, Austalia, USA and the qualifier seems the likely scenario, with the rest of the world scrambling to be the sixth.
But that sixth place is lucrative given the swarm of money that always surround an Olympic Games.
Lavalette states that some Associate Cricket nations have already received more funding since cricket’s Olympic inclusion. Others know sums are available once the terms of qualifcation are better known.
There is one last wrinkle that ties the two stories.
If Cricket USA don’t sort out those governance issues, the ICC may suspend them. They might not even be allowed to compete because the saga threatens their board’s Olympic certification.
That could create an extra place in the six-team tournament but provide an embarassment to American cricket beyond words.
For the good of the future of America cricket, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.