USA Cricket-ACE Settlement Signals Reset After Years of Governance Turmoil

The long-running standoff between USA Cricket and American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) may finally be nearing resolution. After months of legal battles, the two sides have signed a proposed settlement that could reset cricket's governance and funding structure in the United States.

The deal offers USA Cricket a financial lifeline and restores ACE, the owners of Major League Cricket (MLC), as its commercial partner per their 2019 agreement. The proposed agreement includes a funding package from ACE totaling more than $1.1 million to keep the board operational through bankruptcy and into its next phase.

The roots of this conflict stretch back several years, centered on a historic tussle between former USA Cricket chairman Venu Pisike, fellow director Srinivas Salver, and ACE over finalizing a long-form commercial agreement. Despite Pisike being part of the board that unanimously approved the original 2019 ACE deal, years of friction over control and structure followed.

In September 2025, the International Cricket Council suspended USA Cricket after repeated warnings over governance failures, persistent internal conflicts, lack of structural clarity, and an inability to meet administrative standards.

Amid tensions with the ICC, USA Cricket attempted to terminate the ACE agreement in September 2025—a move ACE immediately challenged as 'unlawful'. In October 2025, just before a scheduled court hearing, USA Cricket filed for bankruptcy protection. This shifted the battleground, pausing contractual disputes and buying USA Cricket time and leverage.

By early 2026, the bankruptcy court removed USA Cricket's existing leadership and appointed a trustee to take control. This reset the dynamics, with negotiations now driven by a court-appointed figure. The proposed settlement is the first major outcome of that shift.

If approved, focus will shift to the ICC and how it chooses to rebuild USA Cricket. The ICC is expected to play a central role in appointing leadership, including a CEO, while overseeing a restructured governance model. The preference appears to be for a transitional setup anchored by independent directors appointed by the ICC, with elections for other roles potentially deferred until after the Olympic cycle—a deliberate move to avoid past factional infighting and governance breakdowns.

The U.S. has long presented a unique governance challenge for the ICC, with multiple suspensions, fractured boards, and recurring misgovernance in what is often described as cricket's "sleeping giant" and most valuable untapped media market.

With the Olympics looming, the ICC's immediate priority appears to be stability over structural reform. There have been many false dawns for cricket in America; this may be its most consequential one yet.