In a shocking move, the International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended USA Cricket on September 23, 2025, citing repeated failures in governance and compliance. This decision comes at a crucial moment, with cricket set to return at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The suspension was triggered by three main issues: lack of a proper governance structure, failure to gain recognition from the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) as cricket’s official National Governing Body, and damaging cricket’s reputation both in the U.S. and globally.

This action was not sudden. In 2024, ICC had already placed USA Cricket “on notice” for 12 months to resolve these issues. With no improvement, suspension became inevitable at ICC’s 2025 Annual General Meeting.

For reinstatement, USA Cricket must reform its board, hold fair elections, and show credible progress toward USOPC recognition. A normalization mechanism will now guide the process.

Fortunately, players are not penalized. Both men’s and women’s teams remain eligible for ICC events, with high-performance operations overseen by ICC officials.

The road ahead demands urgent reforms, but whether USA Cricket can fix its foundation before LA 2028 remains the big question.