USA Cricket Terminates Partnership with ACE, World Cup Preparations at Risk

USA Cricket has formally severed ties with its strategic partner, American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), in a move that could jeopardize the country's World Cup preparations.

Background

USA Cricket and ACE entered a 50-year agreement in June 2019, granting ACE exclusive rights to own and operate a top-tier T20 league in the United States. The deal also covered commercialization of the national teams and plans to develop cricket infrastructure in the country.

Reasons for Termination

The partnership was terminated due to years of tensions and alleged breaches by ACE. The reasons for termination include:

• Failure to pay yearly minimum guarantees (although bank records show that ACE has been making these payments on a quarterly basis)
• Failure to construct a high-performance center (although ACE has designed a center in Grand Prairie that exceeds the standards of most other ICC Associate nations)

Consequences

The termination of the partnership has significant consequences for USA Cricket, including:

• Uncertainty over capital needed to support the US National Team
• Jeopardy of matches against West Indies A and West Indies in October
• Possibility of entering a World Cup without T20 practice beyond ICC warm-ups

Arbitration and Financial Impact

ACE is expected to challenge the termination in arbitration, which could cost USA Cricket significantly. The financial impact of the termination is also uncertain, with USA Cricket facing constraints and potentially only weeks from bankruptcy without ACE's quarterly payments.

Next Steps

The downstream impact of this action will be significant, and USA Cricket must now navigate the consequences of terminating the partnership with ACE. The future of Major League Cricket and the US National Team remains uncertain.