Leadership vacuum at USA Cricket as chairman Paraag Marathe resigns
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USA Cricket board member Venu Pisike told ESPNcricinfo that this is all part of an agreement: Marathe’s resignation in return for Pisike and fellow board member Srini Salver dropping a longstanding lawsuit against the board.
Multiple sources have also said that another independent director, Rohan Sajdeh, submitted his resignation in March which now leaves three significant roles vacant in the board.
The lawsuit filed by Pisike and Salver was in relation to the USA Cricket elections, namely that they had waived the constitutional requirement that in order to vote, members had to be registered and in good standing for a minimum of 12 months prior to a vote.
“The two issues raised in the lawsuit are addressed to our satisfaction,” Pisike wrote via email when contacted by ESPNcricinfo. “Members who registered in early 2021 now meets the constitutional one-year eligibility requirement. Chairmam [sic] who is reappointed as independent dir[ector] against the adopted process submitted his resignation.”
USA Cricket made no mention of either board member’s resignation in a press release on Monday night announcing that the Pisike & Salver lawsuit had been withdrawn. A USA Cricket spokesperson did not comment directly when asked about Marathe’s resignation.
A copy of the agreement, which has been obtained by ESPNcricinfo, states that ACE keeps 95% of all cricket-related commercial revenue – including TV broadcast rights, sponsorship agreements and gate sales – generated for USA Cricket while USA Cricket keeps 5%. The agreement provides a minimum annual payment to USA Cricket from ACE – which is listed at $399,000 for 2022, meaning USA Cricket would need to generate $8 million in revenue before they would receive anything beyond the base level disbursement guaranteed by ACE – in the event that the 5% revenue figure does not reach that threshold, which it has not in the first three years of the deal.
“Also the majority of the board agreed to prioritise ACE contract negotiation which is pending for almost three years,” Pisike said. “I personally think the current contract doesn’t benefit USA Cricket or it’s constituents hence we need [and] desire a contract that is good for all parties including ACE.”
USA Cricket has also delayed announcing the scheduling of any domestic championships for 2022 due to financial constraints. USA’s men’s side is due to travel to Zimbabwe for the 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B in July, but tentative plans for a slate of T20I fixtures to help prepare USA in the lead-up to that event may also be in doubt for financial reasons.
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