Following revelations of serious corruption and irregularities within Canada’s cricket administration, the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has launched a detailed investigation. The ICC has initiated the probe over suspicions of match-fixing during the match between Canada and New Zealand at the recently concluded T-20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

The global cricket community was shaken after Canada’s public broadcaster, CBC, exposed these issues through a documentary titled ‘Corruption, Crime and Cricket’. According to the documentary, the fifth over bowled by Canadian captain Dilpreet Bajwa during the match against New Zealand is under scrutiny.

The 22-year-old Bajwa, who was appointed captain just three weeks before the start of the World Cup, is a part-time spinner. He started that over with a no-ball and conceded a total of 15 runs, including a wide on the leg side.

Corruption is suspected based on the performance in that specific over and the circumstances of the game. The ICC team is currently conducting a close examination of Bajwa’s over as well as other domestic tournaments within Canadian cricket.

This series of corruption is not limited to the field. An audio tape of former Canada coach Khurram Chohan has also surfaced, in which he claims that senior board members pressured him to select only their preferred players.

Another former coach, Pubudu Dassanayake, has also revealed that the board interfered in the selection of the 2024 World Cup team and threatened to fire him if he did not comply. Dassanayake has now filed a lawsuit against Cricket Canada.

The administrative state of Cricket Canada also appears to be in disarray. Former CEO Salman Khan was removed following allegations of theft and fraud, and players had to wait a long time to receive their World Cup prize money.

Furthermore, with reports linking organized crime and intimidation to Canadian cricket, the ICC has stated that local police should investigate the matter. Andrew Ephgrave, the ICC’s Integrity Unit head, confirmed awareness of the allegations and stated that strict action will be taken if any credible evidence is found to protect the integrity of the game.