Cricket in USA: ICC develops a blueprint to popularise the sport in the country.

The plan is basically to address the difficulties ICC is facing to resurrect the sport in America.

Under Article 2.7 of International Cricket Council’s Articles of Association the ICC had universally pronounced that it will pull down the membership of the USA Cricket Association (USACA). This decision was made on 26 June after giving due attention to the recommendations given by the ICC Review Group communiqué to the board on the condition and actions of USACA. There was a formal session with USACA delegates during the ICC Annual Conference week. To attract more people towards cricket in USA, the ICC now wishes to set up a Local Advisory Group which includes people from USA sports community viz.  Usman Shuja – recently retired USA national team player, Dr Vincent Adams – USACA appointed liaison to the ICC, Jagan Jagannathan – Chairman of the American Cricket Federation (ACF) and Brian Walters – former Central West Region representative and local youth development coordinator. It will also include people from USA sports industry namely Jim Isch – former Chief Operating Officer of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Nigel Melville – Chief Executive Officer of USA Rugby and Patrick Sandusky – Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer of the US Olympic Committee (USOC). READ: ICC suspends USA Cricket Association

Backdrop

The ICC knows that cricket doesn’t grabs many eyeballs in USA: icc-cricket.com in its investigation and research found that; owing to this suspension the extras and benefits that USACA was getting from the ICC which include financial backing and off-course the right to judge the cricket matches taking place in the States should have the prestige of approved or disapproved cricket, has been dropped. At present ICC has the right of giving its verdict whether the matches should be approved or not. This is in the ICC Operating Manual under Section 32.2. READ: Muhammad Asad Ghous: USA cricket has always managed to pull through hard times

However, it is nice to see that ICC was serious to secure the careers of the players and has allowed the USA to take its time to take part in the recently completed ICC World T20 qualifier which which was to take place in Ireland and Scotland. To lift the suspension and renew the membership, USACA needs the comfort of the ICC board by giving in-depth proofs etc that the circumstances connected to finance, governance and other cricket activities have been taken care of and solved.

The Current Scenario

An update on the prepared and recent activity in the USA is provided below:

The ICC’s CEO, David Richardson, has taken the burden to audit USACA’s attempts to assuage the reinstatement conditions. Hence, he will meet USACA board on 11th of this month and shall report back two months later to the ICC board.

• USA Local Advisory Group will be established and entrenched by the ICC to buttress the development of a substantial strategy for popularising cricket in the States.
• Another part of the plan is to provide data and help in the amalgamation of the USA cricket community.
• The Development Programme will be staging the ICC Americas Cricket Combine in Indiapolis from September 18-27. This will help provide the finest Affiliate and Associate cricketers with the Americas including the United States of America with a brilliant chance to be picked in an ICC Americas representative team which will play in January next year in the West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) Nagico Super 50 tournament.

USA Local Advisory Group

The Local Advisory Group of USA shall encompass people drawn from the global cricketing community, USA sports industry and USA cricket community. The group shall be supervised by the ICC which will include members of the ICC global development team to be directed by Tim Anderson. Some more individuals will be added to this group which will also have women who will give their feedback on the development of Women’s cricket in USA. ALSO READ: T20 cricket and USA: Stars to adorn stripes?