USA Cricket USAC has formally terminated its long-standing agreement with American Cricket Enterprises ACE, the commercial partner behind Major League Cricket MLC. The partnership, signed in June 2019, granted ACE exclusive rights to operate a top-tier T20 league in the United States, commercialise national teams, and develop cricket infrastructure under a 50-year deal. Since then, ACE has invested an estimated USD 10 million into USA Cricket through sanction fees, player payments, and operating costs.
The decision to terminate was made during a three-hour USAC board meeting on August 21, led by Chairman Venu Pisike and Board Member David Haubert. They were backed by directors Srini Salver, Anj Balusu, and Pintoo Shah, who formed a close majority over protesting directors Nadia Gruny, Kuljit Nijjar, Atul Rai, and Arjun Gona. The vote has deepened existing divisions within the board, with Gruny already challenging the legitimacy of Pisike's chairmanship under USA Cricket's bylaws.
Legal and financial experts have expressed strong concerns about the move. USAC's legal counsel warned the board that the termination was unlikely to survive arbitration, while an external attorney described the decision as 'reckless'. CEO Johnathan Atkeison also cautioned that the organisation, which is already financially constrained and could be pushed to the brink of bankruptcy without ACE's quarterly payments. Since July 2024, USA Cricket has been under ICC suspension, which means ICC funding is controlled directly by the global body, leaving USAC with limited financial flexibility.
