He could potentially be lured back to working for the ICC following the departure of Manu Sawnhey
USA Cricket chief executive Iain Higgins has resigned after just over two years in the role. ESPNcricinfo understands that Higgins handed in his resignation late on Sunday night.
Despite the suddenness of his resignation, ESPNcricinfo understands that Higgins had offered to resign on a number of occasions during his tenure due to regular clashes with members of the USA Cricket board of directors. The tumultuous nature of administrative affairs also has not ceased since USA Cricket took over as the official governing body from the expelled USA Cricket Association (USACA). USACA was banished by the ICC in 2017 with USA Cricket taking over in January 2019.
Things appeared more stable after April when USA Cricket launched its first domestic events following the start of the Covid pandemic. The board launched its inaugural Men’s 50-over Championships on Monday in Texas while events have also been held during the summer for boys Under-19s in April and girls Under-19s in August as well as women’s national championships. The USA Women’s team secured a first-place finish at the ICC Americas T20 World Cup Qualifier last month in Mexico while the men did the same at their corresponding event, concluding with a ten-wicket win over Bahamas in Antigua on Saturday to end the event undefeated.
Higgins played a key role in garnering support for USA’s bid to co-host a major ICC event with the West Indies in the next ICC rights cycle from 2024-32, along with rallying support for cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics as early as the 2028 Summer Games to be hosted in Los Angeles. He also recently helped secure USA’s first title sponsor for the men’s and women’s national teams, Sistar Mortgage.
Peter Della Penna is ESPNcricinfo’s USA correspondent @PeterDellaPenna