According to an ICC Report to Associate/Affiliate Members issued ahead of the International Governing Body's Annual Conference, which is being attended by Bermuda Cricket Board CEO Neil Speight and Bermuda Cricket Board's (BCB) second vice-president Nyon Steede, the USA Cricket Association (USACA) is among the three Associate members that currently don't meet ICC's Membership Criteria.
In the report, which will be considered at the ICC Annual Conference in Melbourne that begins on Tuesday, June 24th, Tim Anderson, Global Development Manager of the ICC, recommends that USACA be put 'on notice.'
On-notice Members that remain non-compliant after one year are recommended for suspension at the following year’s Annual Conference, according to the report.
USACA's current woes stem from a controversial decision it made to disqualify leagues from voting ahead of the last election, ostensibly for non-compliance. Many of whom have joined ACF, a rival body that has staked a claim as a governing body for cricket in the USA.
As a result, USACA is now itself non-compliant with ICC Associate Membership Criteria and Guidelines. According to 3.1 of those criteria, Associate Members must satisfy the ICC that they are the sole recognized governing body for cricket in the country.
A member-league that was deemed non-compliant by USACA was quickly dispensed with and disqualified by USACA, and certain elections that included their votes were annulled. The ICC, on the other hand, has in place a more thoughtful approach, putting USACA 'on notice' for a year to remedy the issue, allowing USACA to continue to claim the ICC stamp of approval for another year. ICC's recognition of USACA has been an important reason for several leagues to continue to remain members of USACA.
Whether USACA is able to avoid a third suspension in ten years depends on whether it can win over the affections of many of the same leagues that it disqualified in 2012. And it must do so in the next twelve months.
USACA appears to have relaxed its stance on 'compliance' in a wave of recent releases aimed at expanding membership. However, it continues to be opaque on membership matters, unwilling to publish a list of full members. The latest media release by USACA gives leagues until July 11th to join USACA in order to be able to vote on any revisions to the constitution.
USACA has had some success in its efforts to woo back disqualified leagues, most prominent among those that are back in favor being Northern California Cricket Association. However, ACF has shown that it is not a pushover, earning goodwill by implementing a robust constitution, conducting a clean election, and methodically creating many services that members have not had access to over the last decade. It has increased its membership to 17 hard ball leagues in that process.
For USACA to avoid suspension, it must first bridge the trust divide. Constitutional changes, while important, are not the sole reason why USACA is 'on notice' and facing suspension. Effective governance also entails being responsive, being able to effectively mobilize citizens, and to engage with them in a harmonious manner.
In the absence of confidence building measures or outreach, it is unlikely that leagues will line up to become USACA members just because of constitutional changes. That is a point that USACA appears to be missing.
|
