There will be a serious challenge to the existing Gladstone Dainty-led USA Cricket Association administration at next month's executive board elections.
Cricinfo has learned that a group of senior administrators is standing against the existing board and has already gained the backing of several regions. Sources suggest that they have the support of the majority of the regional presidents.
California's Ram Varadarajan is lined up to oppose Dainty as president. Varadarajan would not only bring his passion for cricket to the post but he has considerable business acumen as president and CEO of Arcot Systems, an authentication software company based in Sunnyvale, California. He is backed by John Aaron, a well-known and respected figure inside US cricket circles, as secretary and John Thickett as treasurer.
The group has already underlined its credentials by launching a slick website outlining who they are and what they stand for. This is in direct contrast to the moribund USACA site which has become almost legendary for its lack of any meaningful information to stakeholders.
"Our team is receiving endorsements every day from players, current and former administrations, and cricket lovers from across the length and breadth of the country," a statement on the new site says. "This outpouring of support is a clear indication that cricket enthusiasts across America see a complete break from the current USACA management as a necessary step for the game to flourish here."
Now that a group of reasonable and honest gentleman has come forward it become all important that the actual election process be open, transparent and above all fair. We need to see a true and correct list of those USACA Members who are allowed to vote in this election and not some "exist on paper and in name only clubs" as in the past. Beyond a neutral auditor, the ICC should send an OFFICIAL MONITOR to oversee the process, after all the ICC will be eventually sending funding to this organization and has a vested interest in seeing that the election is fair. I would not even want to speculate on what happens in the US cricket community if Dainty et al are re-elected through a questionable process. Change is needed and this is the opportunity we have hoped for, make the most of it or suffer from here on.
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