KARACHI: The suspended cricket association of the USA (USACA) has approached the US district court, eastern district of New York, by filing a petition against the International Cricket Council, seeking relief in the form of damages for the disparaging remarks made by the world cricket governing body officials about the federation.

The petition claims that the ICC, through its efforts and activities, intended to exercise command and control over the governance of USACA, including making improper efforts to displace and/or otherwise remove USACA’s elected directors and office bearers.

“Such efforts and activities would, if adopted, jeopardize USACA’s 501(c)(3) status as such improper efforts are intended to serve the objectives of the ICC and personal preferences of its representatives,” the petition said.

The USACA had been an associate member of the ICC since 1965. In 2016, the ICC and its Sustainable Foundation Advisory Group (SFAG), independent of USACA’s directors and officers, externally developed a new Constitution for USACA which the ICC then sought to impose on USACA.

Linden Dodson and Gladstone A. Dainty are the plaintiffs of the lawsuit while the ICC and David Richardson, in individual and representative capacity as the chief executive of the ICC, are the defendants.

“The ICC and its representatives, agents and/or employees including its CEO David Richardson have engaged in a repeated pattern of issuing public and private remarks that disparage the members of the Board of Directors of USACA, including plaintiffs”, the lawsuit claims

“The ICC and its representatives, agents and/or employees including its CEO Defendant David Richardson issued false statements claiming that the members of the USACA board have “mismanaged” the federation and are “unfit” to manage it, are “untrustworthy,” and “misused” USACA funds, and that its board members listed ‘fake/ghost leagues,” the lawsuit further said.

“In view of these observations, the USACA petition demands a trial by jury for all issues and also pray for relief.”

“For preliminary and permanent injunctive relief enjoining the ICC from issuing a membership to any organisation within the United States of America”, the petition demanded The lawsuit also claimed damages against defendants in the amount of two million dollars.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2018