The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday suspended Cricket Canada’s membership with immediate effect after finding serious violations of its membership obligations following board meetings held in Ahmedabad on Monday.

The decision was one of a series of measures approved by the ICC Board aimed at strengthening governance, supporting women’s cricket, reforming global competition structures and encouraging innovation across the game.

Despite the suspension, the ICC said it is committed to protecting Canadian players from the impact of governance issues affecting the national governing body. As a result, Canada’s national representative teams will remain eligible to participate in ICC events during the suspension period.

To ensure the continued development and participation of national teams, Cricket Canada will maintain access to ICC funding through a controlled mechanism under the oversight of ICC management. Funding will be limited to approved national team programs.

The ICC will also provide Cricket Canada with a set of conditions for reinstatement, which will focus on addressing governance and administrative concerns identified by the Board. Progress on those requirements will be monitored by the ICC Normalization Committee supported by ICC management, with membership reinstatement subject to the Board’s satisfaction that all conditions have been met.

The Board also approved several recommendations of the Chief Executive Committee. One of them was a trial that allowed the use of a pink ball in Test matches, subject to agreement between both teams, in order to maximize playing time in conditions where bad light might otherwise disrupt play. The ICC will also research lighting technology for match officials and venues in partnership with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), while match officials will be allowed access to Hawk-Eye data when considering reports of illegal bowling action.

Other changes to playing conditions include allowing head coaches or their nominees to consult teams during scheduled drinks breaks, the introduction of mandatory 15-minute intervals in T20 internationals and requiring batsmen to be ready when play resumes. The ICC has also permanently adopted the leg-side wide trial and approved changes to all remaining MCC Laws of Cricket from October 1, 2026.

In women’s cricket, ICC has changed the window of Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 from June-July to February 14-28, 2027. The governing body will also launch the Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy in 2026 as a 10-team tournament, with five full members and five associate members. The board also supported the qualification pathway for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2028, to be hosted by the Pakistan Cricket Board, with India’s matches being played at neutral venues.

For Associate Members, the ICC approved plans to establish a global qualifier for a future men’s T20 World Cup and tasked management with finalizing the structure for a 16-team qualifying tournament.

The Board also reviewed governance matters in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. ICC representatives are scheduled to visit Bangladesh to engage with stakeholders regarding the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s electoral process, while ICC vice-presidents Imran Khawaja and Devjit Saikia have already met stakeholders to assess developments in Sri Lanka.

The ICC also expressed concern over the growing influence of franchise cricket and agreed to set up a committee to examine how franchise leagues could be better aligned with the international calendar.

ICC President Jay Shah said the discussions in Ahmedabad reflected the governing body’s commitment to governance, administration and the global development of the game.

Shah said, “Our discussions in Ahmedabad have reinforced the ICC’s commitment to governance, governance and the development of cricket globally. From women’s cricket and emerging nations to the management of franchise competitions, today’s discussions and decisions are aimed at ensuring that cricket remains fair, competitive and exciting for fans around the world.”

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