By Zainab Shafiq 
Cricket Canada has come under intense scrutiny from the International Cricket Council (ICC), which has issued a formal request for answers regarding the controversial appointment of Salman Khan as Chief Executive earlier this year. The ICC’s letter, dated May 2, 2025, calls for clarity on how Khan was elevated to the top job in January—mere weeks before criminal charges of theft and fraud were filed against him and a former league official in connection with missing funds from the Calgary & District Cricket League.
At the heart of the matter is not only Khan’s ongoing legal trouble but also serious concerns about how his appointment was handled internally. The ICC has asked Cricket Canada to disclose the full recruitment process, when the board first became aware of the police investigation, and whether directors were properly informed of the risks tied to his hiring. The governing body also wants details of any disciplinary steps taken since the charges surfaced.
This move comes amid rising pressure on Cricket Canada, which has yet to provide a substantive public update since announcing an internal review in April. Khan, for his part, has denied all allegations, calling reports of his arrest “completely false.” However, multiple local cricket officials have said the allegations were well-known in cricketing circles long before formal charges were laid in March.
Adding to the controversy are irregularities in Khan’s employment contract. Initially elected as a Cricket Canada director in mid-2023, Khan resigned his post prematurely to assume the CEO position. Sources claim this may have been a strategic move, as the board’s bylaws require any director facing criminal charges to step down. His transition to CEO came with a five-year deal lacking any termination clause, potentially exposing the board to financial liability if forced to remove him early.
Further concerns were triggered by a commercial agreement signed shortly after Khan took office. Despite a prior ICC sanction against the National Cricket League (NCL), the board replaced its former GT20 partner with NCL Canada, without presenting the full deal to the board or considering a competing offer from the UAE’s ILT20.
The ICC’s intervention signals growing unease about governance within associate member boards. Cricket Canada now faces a 14-day deadline to provide a comprehensive response. The outcome may determine whether this remains a compliance matter or escalates to potential sanctions or loss of funding.
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