TimesofIndia.com in Birmingham: The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has urged all independent directors of USA Cricket (USAC) to resign with immediate effect, paving the way for a wholesale leadership overhaul.In an email reviewed by TimesofIndia.com, David Patterson, senior governance adviser to the USOPC, told USAC chief executive Jonathan Atkeison that the committee wants every independent board member to step down so that “new independent members can be appointed to replace them.”Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!According to people familiar with the talks, the International Cricket Council (ICC) supports the USOPC’s assessment. Members of the ICC’s normalisation committee attended the recent meetings in Los Angeles with USOPC officials, USAC chair Venu Pisike and Atkeison, where the need for a “clean slate” was underscored.In his correspondence, Patterson outlined seven next steps and stressed that the USOPC “will remain involved and engaged throughout this process and beyond.” Atkeison, responding to the email, warned the board that unless the USOPC’s conditions are met, the committee will not open the application window for recognising a national governing body for cricket — effectively barring USAC from overseeing Olympic cricket in the United States.Referring to previous discussions, Patterson added that partial fixes “just don’t work” and that a full leadership reset is “by far the best course of action.”
Atkeison has circulated Patterson’s message to the entire USAC board, noting that the only new element is a willingness by USOPC and ICC officials to “jointly construct the initial slate of independent director candidates.”TimesofIndia.com sought comment from Pisike and board members Srini Salver and Anj Balusu, but none had responded at the time of publication. This story will be updated when they do.Sources say several directors are prepared to resign, while Pisike and Salver are resisting pressure to do so. In fact, despite the communication, one board members claims they have received no formal communication from the ICC, despite the governing body’s recent meetings with USOPC and USAC leadership.The USOPC’s intervention adds to mounting pressure on USA Cricket, which has faced repeated scrutiny over governance and financial management since its formation in 2018.
