ICC Suspends Cricket Canada Membership Over Governance Breaches

• ICC has suspended Cricket Canada’s membership with immediate effect due to serious governance and administrative breaches.
• Canadian national teams will remain eligible for ICC events, while funding will continue under strict ICC oversight.
• The ICC Board also approved several global cricket initiatives, including women’s tournament expansion, playing condition changes and franchise cricket reviews.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended Cricket Canada’s membership with immediate effect after identifying serious breaches of its membership obligations during the ICC Board meetings held in Ahmedabad.

Despite the suspension, the ICC has taken steps to ensure that Canadian players and national teams are not negatively affected. The governing body confirmed that Canada’s national representative teams will continue to be eligible to participate in ICC tournaments during the suspension period.

To support cricket operations in the country, the ICC will allow Cricket Canada to access funding through a controlled mechanism overseen by ICC management. The funding will be restricted to approved national team programmes.

The ICC will also provide Cricket Canada with a set of conditions that must be fulfilled before membership can be restored. Progress on these requirements will be monitored by the ICC Normalisation Committee with support from ICC management. Reinstatement will depend on the Board being satisfied that all governance and administrative concerns have been adequately addressed.

Alongside the decision regarding Cricket Canada, the ICC Board approved a number of recommendations aimed at improving the game globally.

One of the notable decisions was the approval of a trial allowing the use of a pink ball in Test matches, subject to agreement from both participating teams. The move is intended to reduce time lost because of poor light conditions. The ICC will also work with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) to support research and development into lighting technology that could help officials and venues manage bad-light situations more effectively.

The Board also approved giving match officials access to Hawk-Eye data when reviewing potentially illegal bowling actions.

Several playing condition updates were endorsed, including allowing head coaches or designated team staff to communicate with players during scheduled drinks breaks. The ICC will also introduce mandatory 15-minute intervals in T20I matches and require batters to be ready immediately when play resumes.

In another significant move, the leg-side wides trial has been permanently adopted. The Board also approved the implementation of all remaining MCC Laws of Cricket changes from October 1, 2026.

The ICC confirmed that teams competing in the Cricket World Cup Challenge League will remain eligible to play other List A matches during each tournament cycle.

Women’s cricket received further support through a number of decisions. The ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 has been moved from its original June-July window to February 14-28, 2027.

The governing body also approved the Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy 2026, which will feature 10 teams, including five Full Members and five Associate Members selected through rankings and previous T20 World Cup qualification performances.

Additionally, the ICC Board endorsed the qualification pathway for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2028, which will be hosted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), with India’s matches scheduled to be played at a neutral venue.

For Associate nations, the Board approved plans to establish a Global Qualifier for future ICC Men’s T20 World Cups. ICC management has been tasked with finalising the competition structure and qualification process for a 16-team qualifying tournament.

The ICC also provided updates on cricket governance matters in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Two ICC Board representatives, Dr Mohammed Moosaje of Cricket South Africa and Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani, are expected to visit Bangladesh to engage with stakeholders regarding developments in the country, including the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s electoral process.

In Sri Lanka, ICC Deputy Chair Imran Khwaja and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia have already met relevant stakeholders to assess ongoing developments.

The Board further expressed concern over the rapid growth of franchise cricket around the world and agreed to establish a committee to examine how franchise leagues can be better aligned with the international cricket calendar.

ICC Chairman Jay Shah said, “Our discussions in Ahmedabad have reinforced the ICC’s commitment to governance, administration and the growth of cricket globally. From women’s cricket and emerging nations to the management of franchise competitions, today’s discussions and decisions aim to ensure that cricket remains fair, competitive, and exciting for fans worldwide.”