USA Cricket faces legal battle over governance issues

New Delhi, Mar 17: USA Cricket is once again in the headlines for the wrong reasons, as a legal battle unfolds over governance failures. Current board member Atul Rai, along with former directors Kuljit Nijjar, Arjun Gona, and Patricia Whittaker, has filed a lawsuit against the organisation’s leadership, alleging election manipulation, governance breaches, and violations of US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) regulations.

The lawsuit claims that key board members unconstitutionally removed fellow directors and are now manipulating membership registrations to influence upcoming elections. It also highlights delays in board elections and a failure to meet USOPC-mandated athlete representation requirements. These issues have raised concerns about USA Cricket’s ability to function as a transparent and fair governing body.

The legal action comes at a crucial time, as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has already placed USA Cricket under controlled funding and warned of a possible suspension if governance issues are not addressed. The USOPC has also warned USA Cricket about the risk of losing its certification due to repeated failures in governance.

With cricket set to feature in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, this internal turmoil could affect the sport’s growth in the U.S. The lawsuit names Chairman Venu Pisike, Srini Salver, Pintoo Shah, David Haubert, Nadia Gruny, and Anj Balusu as defendants. The plaintiffs are demanding their removal, reinstatement of unlawfully dismissed board members, and cancellation of the upcoming elections, which they claim are being manipulated.

Atul Rai, a current board member and one of the plaintiffs, emphasised that the lawsuit was a last resort. "We have tried all internal avenues to resolve these governance failures, but legal action is now the only way to protect USA Cricket’s future. The ICC and USOPC have repeatedly warned the board, but leadership continues to ignore transparency and due process," Rai said.

The timing of this controversy could not be worse. With the 2028 Olympics on the horizon, USA Cricket has a major opportunity to grow. However, the ongoing governance crisis could lead to stronger ICC intervention, financial restrictions on USA Cricket, loss of USOPC certification, and uncertainty over USA’s participation in the Olympics.