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It took 10 long years for Canada to qualify for the World Cup and it may take much, much longer for the country to get back on the dance floor and rub shoulders with the big boys of the game.
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After a blazing start to the qualifying phase of the 2027 World Cup (50 overs) to be hosted by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, the squad slipped to fifth place behind Scotland, the United States, the Netherlands and Oman following stunning losses.
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The top four qualify for the finals and, for now, it appears all hope is lost unless Canada stages a remarkable recovery in the remaining matches in 2026.
Canada put up a dreadful showing at home recently, where it dropped four encounters. How could a team riding a high wave suddenly fizzle out like a damp firecracker?
It’s not because of lack of talent — far from it. It turns out it’s the enemy from within its own ranks that has embedded the knife into the team’s back.
We are talking about Cricket Canada, the country’s governing body, that has embarked on a destructive course.
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The governing body has forgotten that it is the players who have put Cricket Canada in a position of strength through their sweat and hard work.
Their reward? Cricket Canada president Amjad Bajwa and his committee have frozen the salaries of the squad while allowing two senior officers — the CEO and the financial officer — to collect their stipend that unconfirmed reports have pegged at around $160,000 each annually.
CC has placed more faith in their officials than the players and it’s fair to label this committee as incompetent not only for the treatment of its players, but for also getting into the crosshairs of the International Cricket Council.
Since the players have lost their livelihood, how can you expect them to perform at their best? This is the sad situation the squad finds itself in and unfortunately Amjad and his board don’t seem to care.
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Canada has qualified for the World Twenty20 Cup in India next year, but no warmup matches have been arranged by CC. On the other hand, all the other qualifiers, including the U.S., have scheduled friendly matches in Dubai. These matches will also help tune up the squad for its qualifiers for the 2027 World Cup.
ICC has launched a couple of investigations into the parent body and we are still waiting for its verdict.
The first one was earlier this year, when it questioned the controversial appointment of Salman Khan as CEO. The ICC demanded an explanation as to why Khan was handed this rewarding post after Calgary Police had charged him with theft and fraud.
Police allege that Khan and former Calgary & District Cricket League treasurer Syed Wajahat Ali stole approximately $200,000 between 2014 and 2016 from the league. The court case is set for next February.
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We have just learned that Khan’s contract, obviously approved by Bajwa, also included a “non-termination” clause. So, Khan is sitting pretty even if ICC wants him out.
In June, the ICC airlifted a major anti-corruption team to Toronto after receiving a 58-minute audio recording revealing three members of Cricket Canada were involved in a match-fixing and illegal betting scandal.
This recording in Punjabi was exclusively shared to Postmedia and deciphered by a translator. The recording points fingers at how the interim national coach Khurum Rashid Chohan was instructed by three board members on the composition of the squad following classified information received from bookmakers in either Pakistan or India.
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The three then allegedly placed bets on their own team. This, of course, raised red flags about the organization’s governance and transparency.
Immediately after the recording was made public, CC forcibly replaced Chohan as coach and asked Ingleton Liburd, the body’s former general manager and ex-international player, to fill in.
Changing coaches isn’t anything new, as Pubudu Dassanayake lost his job after an outstanding showing in last year’s World Cup in the U.S.
Dassanayake sued CC for wrongful dismissal and the case still is before the courts.
CC then approached Dav Whatmore, who coached Sri Lanka to the World Cup in 1996, but he hesitated after learning of CC’s track record and signed with Malaysia. CC also balked at Whatmore’s salary demand of some $200,000.
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Does it make any sense that CC can dip into its coffers for huge salaries for two officials, but not a world-class coach?
The case filed by Dassanayake, who has since been hired by the U.S. national squad, is one of several before the courts. The last one was filed by Bombay Sports, owners of the GT franchise that had its 25-year contract terminated last year.
The GT20 attracted huge crowds to its facility at the CAA Centre in Brampton. CC shot itself in the foot as the national team members were funded by proceeds from this league.
Two days ago, CC and Bombay Sports received dates for an arbitration hearing.
CC has since organized the Super 60 tournament to be played indoors at BC Place, starting on Wednesday. Some of the world’s leading players have signed up for the four-day extravaganza.
Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis.
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