USA Cricket has gone bankrupt, the first time a member board of the ICC has done so. This was announced on October 2 just before a big court hearing in Colorado against ACE.
The board has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a process that allows a group to reorganize its debt while continuing to operate. This stops the Colorado court case against American Cricket Enterprises and gives the federal bankruptcy court the power to decide.
According to Cricbuzz, the future of cricket in the USA is now up in the air. Current player contracts, including those of senior international players, are now under the bankruptcy court. Most of these contracts were to run until December 31 2025 but may now be renegotiated or payments delayed.
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The bankruptcy comes after boardroom issues, ICC pressure and disputes with ACE, the company backing Major League Cricket in the USA. The ICC recently suspended the USA board for not holding fair elections.
Reports show USA Cricket was cash strapped with documents showing few assets and over half a million dollars in debt. ACE offered to keep paying players if USA Cricket allowed their commercial agreement to continue while the dispute went to arbitration. The board turned down this offer and instead went bankrupt.
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The ICC and the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) have been pushing for changes in USA Cricket. They wanted the board to resign to bring stability but officials didn’t. Now the bankruptcy filing puts players, leagues and grassroots programs in limbo.
Everyone is watching the bankruptcy court to see if USA Cricket can get out of this financial mess or if this will fail.
