Cricket Canada’s funding from the ICC has been suspended due to governance and financial oversight concerns, with 63% of its 2024 revenue coming from ICC distributions.
The International Cricket Council has stopped financial distributions to Cricket Canada because of governance-related problems. This freeze does not affect ongoing cricket activities, including high-performance programs.
Cricket Canada, classified as an Associate Member, depends heavily on ICC funding. Financial records for the year ending 2024 show that CAD$3.6 million, or 63% of total income (CAD$5.7 million), came from ICC sources.
The specific nature of the governance failures remains undisclosed at this time. However, an investigative program in Canada, known as the fifth estate, has reported multiple breaches of ICC policies.
These include concerns about Cricket Canada’s governance structure and weak financial oversight. The fifth estate’s findings highlight systemic issues within the organization’s leadership.
Cricket Canada has faced continuous turmoil both in administration and during matches. A recent incident involved Canada’s match against New Zealand at the T20 World Cup, which is now under scrutiny by the ICC’s anti-corruption unit.
Additionally, another investigation is ongoing following the leak of a recorded phone call involving former national coach Khurram Chohan. In that call, he alleged that senior, now former, board members pressured him to include specific players in the national team.
The leaked audio recording also contains claims of attempts to manipulate match outcomes. The phone call was made public last year and has triggered multiple inquiries.
Khurram Chohan, who was the team’s coach at the time, is no longer in that role. The ICC has confirmed that governance matters involving its members are addressed through standard constitutional procedures whenever jurisdiction applies.
The organization has struggled with leadership changes over the past year. One major issue involved the appointment and later removal of former CEO Salman Khan.
His hiring drew attention because he failed to disclose prior criminal charges. Salman Khan has since been charged by Calgary Police with theft and fraud, though he denies the accusations.
The situation prompted a leadership shift in April, with Arvinder Khosa taking over as interim board president to replace Amjad Bajwa.
The ICC’s decision to suspend funding was announced immediately after Cricket Canada’s annual general meeting held on May 9-10.
During the meeting, the board introduced reforms described as part of an ongoing governance transformation initiative. A new nine-person board of directors was elected, with Arvinder Khosa confirmed as president following his interim leadership.
The ICC has not issued a public statement regarding the suspension.
A spokesperson for the board, Jimmy Sharma, addressed the situation in a statement to the fifth estate. He acknowledged that the current board inherited these problems and emphasized a full commitment to resolving all governance, compliance, and financial control deficiencies.