USA Cricket Reunites with MLC’s Backer in Strategic Turnaround

USA Cricket has discreetly reversed its decision to terminate a long-term commercial agreement with American Cricket Enterprises. This development was initially mentioned on X by podcaster @kushal_mehra and has been confirmed by Cricbuzz through internal sources. The reversal reinstates the agreement that supports Major League Cricket and funding for parts of the national team program.

Neither USA Cricket nor ACE has officially announced this move, leaving several stakeholders, including some board members of USA Cricket, without formal notification.

This silence has created confusion within the American cricket community. Plans for upcoming events, like a high-performance camp in Morrisville later this month and a West Indies tour in October, remain unclear for players and staff. Those involved hope that the resolution will help put these events back on their original schedule.

The reversal occurred just under two weeks after USA Cricket publicly announced the termination of ties with ACE, citing “multiple material breaches” of the 2019 agreement. This announcement on August 21 brought immediate uncertainty to the domestic structure, which is heavily reliant on funding from ACE.

ACE, the organizer of Major League Cricket and developmental Minor League Cricket, denied these allegations and labeled the termination as “unlawful” in their statements last month.

So far, neither side has acknowledged the withdrawal of the termination. USA Cricket has declined to comment. When approached for remarks, ACE CEO Johnny Graves stated, “We cannot comment on any matter related to the USAC & ACE agreement. Nonetheless, we remain fully committed to the growth and development of cricket in America and prioritize serving the best interests of all cricketers, from grassroots to the USA National Teams.”

The stakes are high. The 2019 agreement granted ACE long-term commercial rights, including the ability to own and operate a premier T20 league in the U.S. and commercialize certain national team properties, while providing funding for USA Cricket and its initiatives. This framework facilitated ACE’s launch of Major League Cricket and Minor League Cricket, as well as the development of the Grand Prairie cricket stadium, which hosts MLC matches and will be used during the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup.

Even amid last month’s public disruption, USA Cricket aimed to mitigate collateral damage by confirming that the 2025 Minor League Cricket season would proceed as “Approved Cricket,” as the sanction had been granted before the termination notice.

The governance situation continues to loom over everything. In July, the ICC provided a formal “roadmap” for USA Cricket to regain compliance and earn recognition as the U.S. Olympic governing body for cricket ahead of the Los Angeles Games, with a crucial first step being a board reset. The August termination, followed by the unacknowledged reversal, aligns with a broader trend of instability that the ICC encourages USA Cricket to address.

Further adding to the uncertainty, Corey Anderson, former New Zealand allrounder and operational director of the US Cricketers’ Association, recently expressed the frustration among players. He told a news website, “The termination leaves players in limbo, uncertain about their futures. How long will this last? What does the future of Major League or Minor League Cricket look like?”

Anderson also warned of the potential ripple effect on USA’s preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will take place in India and Sri Lanka, with the USA as one of the 20 participating teams. Plans had been made for an intensive high-performance camp for the country’s top 35 players in Morrisville, including three 50-over matches and three T20 trial games against West Indies A, critical preparation now appears uncertain.

Currently, an agreement that was declared null in August seems to be back in place. Until USA Cricket and ACE provide clear confirmation, coaches, players, and sponsors are left to rely on speculation, rather than having a defined schedule and budget.