Cricket Scandal: ICC Investigating Match-Fixing and Betting Allegations in Canada

A top team from the International Cricket Council (ICC) Anti-Corruption Unit has arrived in Toronto, not for sightseeing, but for a serious mission: to investigate accusations of illegal betting and match-fixing linked to the Canadian national cricket team.

The ICC started its investigation after receiving a 58-minute and 47-second audio recording in Punjabi. This tape was sent to the ICC by a member of Cricket Canada. Shortly after, that member was fired by Cricket Canada, facing accusations that they didn’t share the tape with their own board first.

The ICC is taking these serious claims very seriously, aiming to protect cricket’s reputation. This isn’t the first time match-fixing allegations have rocked the cricket world. Back in 2000, similar accusations against players like South African captain Hansie Cronje and Pakistan’s Saleem Malik and Ata-ur-Rahman caused a huge stir. In the years that followed, Indian captains Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Sharma were also banned for life. Both had played in Toronto’s ‘Sahara Cup.’

Now, Canadian cricket is under the ICC’s watchful eye again. According to the accusations, three board members interfered with team selection, allegedly sharing information with gamblers in India or Pakistan. This interference reportedly targeted the national interim coach, Khurram Rashid Chauhan.

Chauhan decided not to drop a bowler because of the green pitch conditions. However, due to this decision, he was removed from his coaching role. Following his removal, former Canadian player and national team general manager Ingleton Liburd was appointed as the new head coach.

When contacted by the local online news ‘Toronto Sun’ on Monday, Chauhan admitted he had been removed. He asked for a call back in 15 minutes but then did not answer.

This is not the only problem for Canadian cricket. The organization has been under ICC scrutiny for the past year. Cricket Canada had appointed Salman Khan as CEO, but he had been charged by Calgary police for misusing over $5,000 between 2014 and 2016.

The situation worsened after the 2024 T20 World Cup. Coach Pubudu Dassanayake accused board members of interfering. He claimed, “We could have reached the second round, but it wasn’t possible after five players were added at the last minute without consulting me. My team was made up of 90% qualified players, but the board pressured me to play others.”

Dassanayake was also fired afterward. He has sued, claiming he was wrongly removed from his coaching duties, and his case is still ongoing in court. He is currently the head coach of the US national team.

Meanwhile, Cricket Canada tried to hire Coach Dav Whatmore, who won the World Cup with Sri Lanka and also coached the Nepali national team. However, he reportedly turned down the offer after seeing the state of Canadian cricket. He recently became the Cricket Director for Malaysia.

On the field, Canada’s team also faces issues. Just two months ago, team captain Nicholas Kirton was arrested in Barbados with 20 pounds of marijuana. He was taken into police custody and later released on bail.