USA Cricket (USAC) announced the appointment of Johnathan Atkeison as its new CEO on Saturday. This decision follows a recent warning from the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the need for a suitable governance and administrative structure.
Atkeison's appointment fulfils one of two critical conditions set by the ICC to avoid disqualification as an Associate member. The other requirement involves meeting governance standards established by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), which is necessary for USAC to attain National Governing Body (NGB) status, a prerequisite for sports included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
In a media release, Atkeison expressed his excitement, stating, "I'm honoured to join USA Cricket at such an exciting time for the sport in the United States, with the men's national team's recent historic performance in the T20 World Cup, the successful completion of Major League Cricket's second season, and the upcoming opportunity to showcase cricket in the LA28 Olympics. Our objective is to build a world-class organisation to harness this momentum and firmly establish cricket's place in the American sporting landscape. The cricket community's passion is remarkable, and the enthusiasm is contagious. I look forward to getting started."
Atkeison previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of USA Rugby and has over 15 years of experience in national governing body roles. He is known for leading USA Rugby through a financial restructuring in 2020 and will begin his tenure on August 1.
Prior to its AGM, the ICC circulated a memo titled "Associate Member Membership Update" to all its members, highlighting USOPC's "serious concerns" about USAC's governance. This was the second warning issued by the ICC to USAC within the year, giving them 12 months to address the issues.
The ICC board stated that a normalisation committee, consisting of board and management representatives, will oversee and monitor USAC's compliance efforts. The ICC reserves the right to suspend or expel USAC if non-compliance continues.