Bridgetown: The International Cricket Council board has unanimously suspended the membership of the USA Cricket Association with immediate effect.

World cricket’s governing body said it acted Friday after discussing a report from its Review Group, which expressed ‘significant concerns about the governance, finance, reputation and cricketing activities of USACA.’

The decision at the ICC annual conference in Barbados means USACA will not receive ICC funding during the suspension.

However, the United States cricket team will still be allowed to participate in next month’s World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015 in Ireland and Scotland.

ICC chairman Narayanaswami Srinivasan says ‘the country has tremendous potential ... (but) the opportunity to grow the game is not being properly nurtured.’