The International Cricket Council has suspended funding to Cricket Canada for the next six months due to governance-related issues, ESPNcricinfo reports. The move is a major financial blow to the Associate Membership Council, which relies heavily on ICC funding for its operations.
Despite the suspension, Cricket Canada’s ongoing cricket activities, including national team programs and high-performance operations, are not expected to be immediately affected.
Financial records through 2024 show ICC allocations accounted for nearly 63 per cent of Cricket Canada’s total revenue. Of the organization’s C$5.7 million in revenue, approximately C$3.6 million comes directly from ICC support.
While the ICC has yet to publicly detail the specific governance issues behind the decision, a recent report by Canadian investigative project Fifth Estate alleged multiple breaches at the commission related to governance standards, financial oversight and administrative functions.
The suspension comes at a tumultuous time for Cricket Canada, which has been riddled with controversy over the past year. A major ongoing investigation involving the Canada-New Zealand national cricket team match during the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is currently under review by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU).
In a separate controversy, former Canada head coach Khurram Chauhan allegedly claimed in a leaked phone recording that he was pressured by former senior board officials to select specific players for the national team. The recording also reportedly contains allegations related to attempted corruption of the game.
Last month, Andrew Ephgrave, interim head of the ICC’s Counter Integrity Unit, said in a statement to ESPNcricinfo about the corruption investigation: “Governance matters relating to ICC members are considered by the ICC in accordance with the ICC’s standard constitutional procedures and those members fall within its jurisdiction.”
ICC’s decision comes shortly after Cricket Canada held its annual general meeting on May 9-10, where the board announced several reforms as part of what it called its “ongoing governance transformation plan.” The meeting also elected a new board of directors consisting of nine members.
