USA Cricket (USAC) is once again embroiled in controversy as a new lawsuit has been filed against the governing body and its current directors. The legal action comes from incumbent director Atul Rai and former directors Kuljit Nijjar, Arjun Gona, and Patricia Whittaker, who were previously terminated. The lawsuit names several USAC officials, including Venu Pisike, Srini Salver, Pintoo Shah, David Haubert, Nadia Gruny, and Anj Balusu, accusing them of governance "misconduct."
As per the statements filed in the District Court of Boulder County, Colorado, the plaintiffs allege that the USAC leadership manipulated the membership registration system at material times to disenfranchise certain voters in regard to upcoming elections, thereby deliberately influencing election results in favor of selected persons.
The lawsuit also states that USAC has neglected to conduct elections once the terms for Salver and Gruny expired. It states that USAC's establishment of the Athlete Advisory Committee has also not complied with the USOPC guidelines, which are meant to ensure athlete representation in governance.
ICC's Suspension Notice Overhanded USAC
Within this legal battle, the standing of USA Cricket shall be weakened even further. Starting with the AGMS in July 2024, the board has faced hectic scrutiny after an ICC-deferred suspension notice. Governance issues must be dealt with within a year, or lose ICC membership, warned the ICC.
Also, the lawsuit cites the USOPC, which otherwise strongly slammed them, saying USAC is "dysfunctional" and "distracted by infighting" to suggest that needed reforms are not being made. If these governance issues continue, USOPC has warned that USAC might not automatically get recognized as the national governing body (NGB) for cricket for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, which could invite a further scenario for USAC being removed from the ICC.
Background to the Legal Dispute
The lawsuit follows the contrary firing on February 15, 2025, of Nijjar, Whittaker, and Gona. The three had been provisionally suspended from July 2024, it was alleged, after they co-signed a letter that publicly criticized Pisike and Salver for mismanagement. This letter came into the purview of Cricbuzz.
After their dismissal, USAC announced elections to fill the vacancies of Nijjar and Gona. The organization also moved fast to seek a replacement for the position of an independent female director, which became vacant following the dismissal of Whittaker.
Relief Sought by Plaintiffs
In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs seek:
- That all defendant directors be immediately removed from the USAC board.
- The reinstatement of Nijjar, Gona, and Whittaker to their previous positions.
- The upcoming elections for individual director positions to be cancelled, alleging manipulation of elections.
With USAC already facing scrutiny from ICC and USOPC, this new round only compounds the intensity surrounding the organization. The result of this lawsuit could become very important for the future of cricket in the United States.
This report is based on information assimilated from Cricbuzz.