ICC Suspends Cricket Canada Amid Governance Crisis

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended Cricket Canada due to serious breaches of its membership obligations, marking a significant setback for the country’s cricket governing body and deepening concerns over the administration of one of Canada’s fastest-growing sports.

The suspension was confirmed by the ICC Board at a meeting in Ahmedabad amid major concerns about the governance of Canada’s national cricket body, including Cricket Canada’s alleged failure to maintain adequate governance systems and submit audited financial statements.

In May 2026, the ICC suspended Cricket Canada’s funding for six months over concerns relating to governance, financial oversight and administrative functioning, alongside ongoing allegations concerning match integrity and former CEO controversies. The suspension significantly affected cricket Canada as 63% of its revenue comes from ICC distributions. 

The suspension is most likely a consequence of the CBC Fifth Estate investigation that alleged corruption, coercion, governance failures and match-fixing within Cricket Canada. The allegations triggered heightened scrutiny of the organisation’s administration and integrity systems.

According to media reports, the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit examined concerns arising from Canada’s match against New Zealand during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, amid allegations relating to match integrity. It has also been alleged that the former Canada head coach Khurram Chohan allegedly claimed in a leaked phone recording that he was pressurized by former senior board officials to select specific players for the national side. There were also allegations regarding match corruption in the recording.

It has been reported that some of the corruption allegations are linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, a transnational criminal syndicate that operates from India. Investigative reports state that individuals associated with the gang may have sought influence within Canadian cricket.

In response to the suspension, Cricket Canada stated that the suspension was unexpected but said it respected the ruling and would comply with all requirements imposed by the ICC. It further stated that it had already begun implementing measures following discussions with the governing body.

The ICC has clarified that the interests of Canadian players will be protected and they will not be affected by the governance issues of the national governing body. The teams will still be eligible to participate in ICC events during the period of investigation.

However, it remarked that the progress will be monitored by the ICC Normalisation Committee and Cricket Canada’s membership would be reinstated only after the ICC is fully satisfied that all requirements have been complied with.