As Major League Cricket (MLC) kicked off its 2025 season, a new geopolitical development was looming over the future of international cricket in the United States.
According to internal government memos obtained by news outlets, the Trump administration is considering adding up to 36 countries to its existing travel ban list — including several cricket-playing nations in Africa and the Caribbean. Countries now under review include Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia — all part of Cricket West Indies and frequent contributors to international tours and talent pipelines.
In addition, African cricketing nations such as Zimbabwe and Zambia are also on the list.
If enacted, the ban could have implications for player movement, bilateral tours, and possibly even the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles — where cricket is set to return as an Olympic sport for the first time in over a century.
A warning sign from Afghanistan
The looming threat is not theoretical. Just this week, MLC teams were forced to pull star Afghan players from their squads after they were denied entry into the U.S. under an earlier version of the travel ban targeting Afghan nationals.
Olympic implications
The upcoming policy reportedly gives countries a 60-day window to address State Department concerns related to security, data-sharing, and travel documentation — or face partial or full travel restrictions.
Perhaps the most high-profile risk as a result lies with the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where cricket will make its long-awaited return.
With the International Cricket Council (ICC) considering a West Indies team to qualify and compete under the Olympic flag, any visa bans impacting constituent nations could complicate qualification, preparation, or even participation.
What’s next
The travel ban expansion has not yet been finalized. Countries now on the watchlist have two months to comply with U.S. demands, and the final list could be narrower than the one outlined in the leaked memo.
But with visa processing already a challenge for many developing cricket nations — and with the memory of the Afghan MLC exclusions still fresh — the cricketing world is concerned about its impact.
As cricket looks to expand its global reach — especially in the U.S. ahead of 2028 — the outcome of the next 60 days could determine whether that growth accelerates or hits a geopolitical barrier.
