ICC Board Approves Strategic Framework For USA Cricket

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved a strategic framework for the further development of cricket in the United States, and announced a number of initiatives to support the development program.

In a letter released today to American cricket stakeholders, Tim Anderson, ICC’s Global Development Manager outlined that the ICC Board had received a detailed update on recent cricketing activities in the USA, and approved a strategic planning framework developed together with the wider USA cricket community since August 2015.

One highlight of the program is the ICC’s approval to sanction six CPL matches to be played in the USA, and a wrap-around program which hopefully would benefit American cricketers.

Tim Anderson’s letter continued, “In line with this strategy, a number of activities were reported on, or were approved to take place during 2016.  Many of these were also discussed during the Town Hall meetings that took place around the country during November 2015:

•    The positive opportunity provided by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for the ICC Americas Team (including nine USA players) to participate in the Nagico Super 50 in January, as well as the further opportunity for the best players from this team to receive contracts to participate in the 2016 Caribbean Premier League.

•    A USA National Youth Participation Seminar will take place in Colorado Springs on February 13 and 14.  Over 50 people will attend from approximately 40 leagues, associations and youth programs around the country.

•    Following the positive feedback received after the ICC Americas Cricket Combine in Indianapolis in September 2015, a number of city-based Combines for men, women and youth players will take place during the first half of 2016.  Further information will be provided shortly regarding these Combines.

•    Noting the over-riding objective to unify the US cricket community, the ICC Board requested ICC management to develop a new talent identification and selection policy for US cricket in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, including USACA, and to implement a public application process so that new national selectors and team support staff could be appointed.  Further information will be provided in this regard in due course, although in the first instance it is planned that the city-based Combines will form part of the talent identification process.

•    An application by the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) to play matches in the USA in July 2016 was approved by the ICC Board.  A number of development activities will also take place around the matches, with more information about both the matches and the development activities to be provided in the coming months.

•    ICC is currently in discussions with both cricket authorities in Los Angeles and the City of Los Angeles regarding a bid to host ICC World Cricket League Division 4 in LA towards the end of 2016.  The USA is scheduled to compete in this event – which is part of the ICC’s Cricket World Cup 2019 qualification pathway – with five other countries.  An important requirement to host such an event is having three turf grounds in close proximity.

Finally, the Board reiterated that the ICC’s delivery of all of the above activities in-line with the agreed strategic direction, and the holding of USACA to the reinstatement conditions, were necessary steps for the effective development of cricket in the USA, and that the ICC’s current role was to put processes in place for a future unified and ultimately successful US governing body.”

Tim Anderson’s letter did not address the issue of whether the current suspension of USACA would impact the delivery of any of the initiatives planned by the ICC, nor did it state what the current status of the ICC’s demand to respond to the 39 points outlined in the suspension letter sent to USACA, following the ICC’s 2015 meeting in Barbados.

It is also still unclear if USACA has responded to any or all of the ICC demands that would lift the current suspension of the USA national governing body, the third in the past ten years.