In a critical email to the ICC, USA Cricket (USAC) directors Kuljit Singh, Arjun Gona, and Patricia Whittaker have levelled serious accusations against chairman Venu Pisike and his allies on the board. This email followed the ICC board meeting in Colombo, where the sport's governing body assessed the USA situation after issuing a suspension warning in March and imposing sanctions with 'controlled funding' on an 'exceptional basis.'
The suspension of Singh and Gona from USAC announced on July 12, is believed to be a result of their continuous dissenting emails to the ICC, including the recent one co-authored with Whittaker. This type of correspondence has a precedent, as Pisike and Srini Salver previously wrote a similar letter to the ICC in 2021, highlighting misgovernance by a majority of directors and requesting the ICC to revoke USAC's World Cup hosting rights.
The email, which Cricbuzz accessed, makes serious allegations against Pisike, such as the unethical termination of CEO Dr. Noor Murad, creating a toxic work environment, and suppressing directors' rights. It also mentions unconstitutional appointments, illegitimate constitutional revisions, systemic corruption for electoral gains, lack of transparency over legal expenses, and sabotaging resolution attempts with American Cricket Enterprises (ACE).
The email frequently mentions the stifling of dissent during board meetings by muting dissenting voices. The co-authors claimed that they were being intimidated and pressured to resign, with implied threats of more aggressive measures if they did not comply. They also stated that Whittaker faced various attempts to remove her from the board since 2023, including using USAC funds for legal opinions.
The email accuses the board of using similar tactics to force resignations from key staff members like Julie Abbott, Jamie Lloyd, Anand Patel, and Burt Cockley, attributing their departures to the toxic work environment created by certain board members.
The re-appointment of independent director Pintoo Shah was labelled unconstitutional, bypassing the Nomination and Governance Committee (NGC). The email also questioned Chris Lievsay's legitimacy as NGC chairman and criticised recent key appointments to USAC committees as being based on personal relationships rather than merit.
In January, USAC proposed constitutional amendments to comply with USOPC and strengthen governance. However, the email alleges that the amendments were rushed, with incorrect data sent out in a media release against the advice of the attorney and other board members. This process reportedly disenfranchised about 908 eligible voters and passed with a 96% majority, leading to distrust, rumours of corruption, and a lack of confidence.
The email also claims systemic corruption in selecting a membership management company, alleging that the Request for Proposal (RFP) was selectively sent to three companies, one owned by a friend of the chairman and his allies. The contract was awarded to this friend, whose proposal met every requirement meticulously.
Concerns over legal invoices amounting to thousands of dollars from two attorneys, allegedly without board approval or ICC notification, were also raised. One attorney claimed to be the chairman's friend, and the chairman ignored the previous CEO's suggestion to announce a tender for legal services.
The email further accuses the chairman and his allies of sabotaging resolution efforts with MLC, spreading disinformation about ACE, despite the chairman having previously approved the USAC-ACE contract in 2019. When he assumed power in January 2023, he disbanded the previous ACE relations committee and is now a member of the new committee.
Srini Salver, the male player director and chair of the cricket committee, was also accused of conflict of interest and corruption, allegedly engaging in coaching activities for fees, which the email described as unethical. The email suggested a broader agenda shared with Pisike to exclude USA-eligible MLC players to accommodate their preferred players in the national team.
Cricbuzz contacted USAC for a response to these allegations, but the board chose not to comment at this time.