Blow for Cricket Canada (Image: X) According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, the International Cricket Council has suspended funding to Cricket Canada for the next six months due to governance concerns. The move deals a significant financial blow to the Associate Member Board, which relies heavily on ICC funding for its operations.

Despite the suspension, it is not expected to have an immediate impact on ongoing cricket activities, including Cricket Canada’s national team programs and high-performance operations. Financial records for the year ending 2024 showed that ICC distributions made up about 63 per cent of Cricket Canada’s total revenue. Of the organization’s CAD 5.

7 million income, approximately CAD 3. 6 million came from direct ICC support.

Although the ICC has not publicly detailed the exact governance concerns behind the decision, a recent report by the Canadian investigative program Fifth Estate alleged multiple violations related to governance standards, financial oversight and administrative functioning within the board. The suspension comes during a turbulent phase for Cricket Canada, which has been dogged by numerous controversies over the past year. One of the major ongoing investigations involves Canada’s match against New Zealand.

The national cricket team during the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which is currently being investigated by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU). In another controversy, former Canada head coach Khurram Chauhan reportedly claimed in a leaked phone recording that former senior officials of the board had pressured him to select specific players for the national team. The recording also reportedly included allegations related to attempted corruption in the match.

Last month, in a statement to ESPNcricinfo on the corruption investigation, Andrew Effgrave, head of the ICC’s interim anti-integrity unit, had said: “Governance matters in relation to ICC members are considered by the ICC where they fall within its jurisdiction in accordance with the ICC’s standard constitutional procedures. ” The ICC decision came shortly after Cricket Canada held its annual general meeting on May 9 and 10, where the board announced a number of reforms described as part of its “ongoing governance change initiative”.

A new nine-member board of directors was also elected during the meeting.