USA Cricket (USAC) is under new controversy as a new lawsuit was filed against the board and the current directors. Current director Atul Rai, together with ousted directors Kuljit Nijjar, Arjun Gona, and Patricia Whittaker, has charged USAC leadership with misconduct in governance. The defendants listed are Venu Pisike, Srini Salver, Pintoo Shah, David Haubert, Nadia Gruny, and Anj Balusu.
The suit, which was filed in the Boulder County district court in Colorado, accuses manipulation of the membership registration process to sway the outcome of the forthcoming board elections. The plaintiffs assert that certain voters were intentionally disenfranchised to determine the outcome of the election. The complaint also invokes USAC’s neglect in conducting elections following the end of the terms of Salver and Gruny and charges the board with breaking United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) rules by illegally creating the Athlete Advisory Committee, which speaks for player interest.
This legal proceeding is the latest addition to the long list of troubles for USAC, which is already on the back foot after it received a notice of suspension from the International Cricket Council (ICC) at its Annual General Meeting in July 2024. The ICC cautioned USAC to put its internal matters in order within a year or risk having its membership terminated. The USOPC also condemned USAC, calling it ‘dysfunctional’ and ‘distracted by infighting,’ threatening that USAC will lose its national governing body status for cricket in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if governance failures continue.
The lawsuit follows the dismissal of Nijjar, Whittaker, and Gona on February 15, after they were initially suspended in July 2024. Their suspensions came after a letter surfaced that criticised the leadership of Pisike and Salver, which was later made public. Following these resignations, USAC organised new elections to fill the vacancies left by Nijjar, Gona, and Whittaker. The plaintiffs are seeking the removal of all current directors mentioned in the lawsuit and the reinstatement of Nijjar, Gona, and Whittaker. They are also asking for the upcoming elections to be deemed invalid, which would escalate the leadership crisis within USAC. The ICC and USOPC are closely monitoring the situation as the future of USA Cricket remains uncertain.
The suit comes after the February 15 dismissal of Nijjar, Whittaker, and Gona, who were originally suspended in July 2024. Their suspensions followed the emergence of a letter that condemned Pisike and Salver’s leadership, which was subsequently reported. After these resignations, USAC arranged for new elections to fill the posts of Nijjar, Gona, and Whittaker.
The plaintiffs are demanding the removal of all current directors named in the lawsuit and the reinstatement of Nijjar, Gona, and Whittaker. They are also requesting that the upcoming elections be declared invalid, which would further intensify the leadership crisis within USAC. The ICC and USOPC are keeping a close eye on the situation as the future of USA Cricket hangs in the balance.
