USA Cricket troubles put LA 2028 Olympic stadium plan under cloud: Report – Firstpost

USA Cricket’s governance crisis has put plans for a permanent cricket stadium at Fairplex, Pomona, in doubt ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The ICC is reportedly monitoring the crisis closely.

The ongoing crisis in American cricket is raising big questions over the sport’s much-awaited Olympic return at the
Los Angeles 2028 Games. Plans to build a new cricket venue for the event could now be in jeopardy after USA Cricket recently terminated its 50-year deal with American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), the partner that runs Major League Cricket (MLC).

USA Cricket has accused ACE of breaching financial, infrastructure and governance commitments. Meanwhile, ACE has denied the charges and called the termination “unlawful.” This standoff has come at a time when Olympic organisers are hoping for a smooth development of a cricket stadium at Fairplex in Pomona, which is around 50 kilometres from downtown LA.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADLA cricket stadium plans in jeopardy

According to Forbes, there were plans to turn that venue into a permanent cricket stadium so the sport can further grow in the United States after the Olympics are over. The stadium was supposed to be used for MLC matches and even international cricket. The Knight Riders franchise, which owns the Los Angeles MLC team and is part of the IPL in India, had agreed to be the main tenant.

The franchise had reportedly planned to pay for important parts of the venue such as the pitch, practice nets, drainage, floodlights and a pavilion and bring the stadium under use by 2027. Olympic organisers would only need to add temporary seats to expand the capacity to 6,000-8,000 during the LA Games in 2028.

However, the current crisis in USA Cricket has made investors nervous, with fears that the project could be delayed or even scrapped. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly keeping a close eye on the matter. It has emerged that the North American board has already been warned by the ICC. If they failed to resolve the issue quickly, they might lose funding and even be banned.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has already shared the dates for cricket at the LA28 Games. The men’s and women’s T20 events will take place from July 12 to July 29, 2028. The women’s final is set for July 20, while the men’s gold medal match will be played on July 29. Six teams each in men’s and women’s cricket will fight for medals.