Cricket Canada CEO says charges of theft and fraud are 'completely false'

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 12, 2025 7:52 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Cricket Canada CEO Salman Khan and different antheral person been charged with theft and fraud implicit $5,000 arising from their clip with the Calgary and District Cricket League.

The Calgary Police Service said successful a merchandise Wednesday it believes Salman Khan Shahzad (a.k.a. Salman Khan), erstwhile president of the Calgary league, and Syed Wajahat Ali, the erstwhile treasurer, "are liable for misappropriating wealth belonging to the Calgary and District Cricket League (C&DCL)."

Police said the recently appointed president of the Calgary league conducted an interior audit successful 2017 aft noticing "several concerns" astir the league's fiscal records. The league past contacted police.

"The Calgary Police Service launched an probe and discovered betwixt January 2014 and December 2016, the erstwhile treasurer and erstwhile president of the C&DCL are believed to person misappropriated astir $200,000 from the league," said the constabulary statement.

"The funds were misappropriated done cheque payments to operation businesses and contractors which the erstwhile treasurer and erstwhile president, oregon their contiguous household members, had connections to."

Police said payments were allegedly made to the businesses for repairs and upgrades to the league clubhouse and grounds. But the enactment was either ne'er completed or poorly done using inferior products. Costs were besides "highly inflated."

The 2 men, some from Milton, Ont., are owed to look successful tribunal Thursday.

Khan, successful a societal media station via the Alberta Cricket Association, called the allegations "completely false."

"Here's the truth. A constabulary ailment was filed against maine much than 7 years ago," wrote the 46-year-old.

"A constabulary researcher approached maine and said helium wanted to perceive my broadside of the communicative and spot the grounds I person to support myself. He told maine that if I didn't supply my side, helium would proceed with charges. I told him I would sojourn aft Ramadan, but helium didn't privation to hold and decided to station charges without adjacent proceeding my broadside oregon my evidence.

"Let maine marque this clear: They person thing to beryllium against me.… I americium not disquieted astatine all. I'm acceptable to combat conscionable similar I've been doing for the past 8 years."

Khan and Ali, 45, person each been charged with 1 number of fraud implicit $5,000 and theft implicit $5,000. The charges person not been proven successful court.

Police said its probe was "multi-jurisdictional … involving individuals who were out-of-province and required respective accumulation orders and warrants that were executed successful narration to the investigation."

The Calgary league says it has since "strengthened fiscal oversight, enhanced interior controls, and introduced measures to forestall akin incidents successful the future."

Cricket Canada wide manager Ingleton Liburd referred a media query astir the charges to Cricket Canada president Amjad Bajwa, who did not instantly respond to a Canadian Press petition for comment.

Khan became president of the Alberta Cricket Association successful 2022. He was appointed CEO of Cricket Canada successful aboriginal January.

At the time, Cricket Canada said Khan "will beryllium liable for overseeing the strategical absorption of Cricket Canada, driving the maturation of cricket successful Canada, and enhancing the improvement of some the grassroots and elite levels of the sport."

"His divers expertise, strategical vision, and passionateness for the athletics of cricket volition beryllium invaluable arsenic we proceed to turn the crippled and elevate the illustration of Canadian cricket connected the planetary stage," Cricket Canada added.

The charges are conscionable the latest achromatic oculus for the governing body.

Two erstwhile players, Srimantha Wijeyeratne and Ammar Khalid, launched a ailment aft being near disconnected Canada's T20 World Cup squad past year. The Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada ruled that Cricket Canada's squad enactment was not made successful accordance with its ain enactment argumentation and ordered that it beryllium redone according to the rules.

Both players were near disconnected the roster again.

Former Canada manager Pubudu Dassanayake, who testified that helium was "surprised with the squad selected and disappointed arsenic well," has launched a wrongful dismissal lawsuit against Cricket Canada. It is slated to spell earlier a mediator.

Dassanayake near the squad aft past summer's T20 World Cup. At the time, Cricket Canada said his declaration was not renewed erstwhile it expired astatine the extremity of July.

The Sri Lankan-born Dassanayake, who played for some Sri Lanka and Canada, was successful his 2nd stint astatine Canada's helm. He has besides coached Nepal (twice) and the U.S.