The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended Cricket Canada with immediate effect following what it described as "serious breaches" of its membership obligations. This was one of several significant decisions taken during the ICC Board meetings in Ahmedabad on Sunday (May 31).
While Cricket Canada's membership has been suspended, the ICC said Canadian national teams would continue to participate in ICC events and access funding through a controlled mechanism overseen by the governing body to ensure players are not adversely affected by the administrative issues. The ICC added that Cricket Canada would be provided with a set of reinstatement conditions aimed at addressing governance and administrative shortcomings, with progress to be monitored by the ICC's Normalisation Committee.
The Board also approved a recommendation to trial the use of a pink ball in conventional Test matches, subject to agreement from both participating teams, when poor light is anticipated. The proposal would allow teams to switch from the traditional red ball to a pink ball during a Test in a bid to reduce time lost to bad light. Cricbuzz had first reported the proposal ahead of the Board meetings, with the ICC also confirming plans to jointly fund research with the MCC into lighting technology that could further minimise interruptions caused by poor light.
Among the other key outcomes of the meetings was the Board's approval of a recommendation to establish a Global Qualifier for ICC Men's T20 World Cups. The management has been tasked with finalising the competition structure and qualification pathway for a 16-team qualifier before presenting it to the relevant ICC committees. As reported by Cricbuzz on May 30, the move effectively revives a global qualification pathway for Associate nations after the ICC identified growing interest and viewership in matches involving non-Full Member teams.
In another significant playing-condition change, the ICC permanently adopted the leg-side wides trial - which uses a batter's position at the point of delivery as the point of reference - and approved the use of Hawk-Eye data by match officials when considering reports of suspected illegal bowling actions. Head coaches, or their designated representatives, will also be permitted to communicate with players during scheduled drinks breaks, while T20 Internationals will now feature mandatory 15-minute intervals.
The Board additionally endorsed changes to women's cricket pathways and events. The ICC Women's Champions Trophy 2027 has been moved from its original June-July window to February 14-28, 2027, while a 10-team Women's Emerging Nations Trophy will be launched in 2026 featuring five Full Members and five Associate nations, which was also reported by Cricbuzz earlier.
For the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2028, the Board approved a qualification pathway featuring a 10-team Global Qualifier feeding into the 12-team tournament, which will be hosted by Pakistan with India's matches scheduled at a neutral venue.
The ICC also addressed governance matters in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Representatives Dr. Mohammed Moosaje and Tavengwa Mukuhlani will visit Bangladesh to engage with stakeholders regarding developments in the country, including the Bangladesh Cricket Board's electoral process. In Sri Lanka, ICC Deputy Chair Imran Khwaja and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia have already met stakeholders to assess ongoing developments.
The Board further expressed concern over the growing footprint of franchise cricket worldwide and resolved to establish a committee to examine how franchise leagues can be better harmonised with the international calendar.
"Our discussions in Ahmedabad have reinforced the ICC's commitment to governance, administration and the growth of cricket globally," ICC chairman Jay Shah said. "From women's skyexchange cricket and emerging nations to the management of franchise competitions, today's discussions and decisions aim to ensure that cricket remains fair, competitive, and exciting for fans worldwide."