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

Cricket Canada CEO Salman Khan and another man are accused of theft and fraud of more than $ 5,000 arising from their time at the Calgary and District Cricket League.

The Calgary police said on Wednesday in a release that it was 46-year-old Salman Khan Shahzad (also known as Salman Khan), former president of the Calgary League, and the 45-year-old Syed Wajahat Ali, the former treasurer, “is responsible for the abuse of money from the Calgary and District Cicket).” “

The police said that the newly appointed president of the Calgary League carried out an internal audit in 2017 after noticing “different concerns” about the financial data of the competitions. The competition then contacted the police.

“The Calgary Police Service started an investigation and discovered between January 2014 and December 2016, the former treasurer and former president of the C&DCL is supposed to have darkened around $ 200,000 from the league,” said the police statement.

“The funds were darkened by check payments to construction companies and contractors with whom the former treasurer and former president or their immediate family members had connections.”

The police said that payments were reportedly made to the companies for repairs and upgrades to the League Clubhouse and Grounds. But the work was never completed or badly done, with the help of inferior products. The costs were also “strongly blown up.”

The two men, both from Milton, ont., Will appear in court on Thursday.

Khan, in a social media post via the Alberta Cricket Association, called the allegations 'completely untrue'.

“Here is the truth. A police complaint was submitted to me more than seven years ago,” he wrote. “A police investigator approached me and said that he wanted to hear my side of the story and see the evidence that I had to defend myself. He told me that if I did not provide my side, he would continue. I told him that I would visit Ramadan, but he did not want to wait and decided to hear charges without even my side or evidence.

“Let me make this clear: they have nothing to prove against me that I am not worried at all. I am ready to fight just as I have done in the last eight years.”

Khan and Ali are each accused of one count of fraud of more than $ 5,000 and theft of more than $ 5,000. The charges have not been proven before the court.

The police said that the investigation was “multi-jurisdiction involving people who were non-province and needed various production faiths and warrants that were carried out with regard to the investigation.”

The Calgary League says that it has since reinforced “financial supervision, has improved internal checks and has introduced measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.”

Cricket Canada GM Ingleton Liburd referred a media -query about the charges to Cricket Canada President Amjad Bajwa, who did not immediately respond to a Canadian press request for comment.

Khan became president of the Alberta Cricket Association in 2022. He was appointed CEO of Cricket Canada at the beginning of January.

At the time, Cricket Canada said that Khan “will be responsible for supervising the strategic direction of Cricket Canada, stimulating cricket growth in Canada and improving the development of both the grass roots and the elite levels of the sport.”

“His various expertise, strategic vision and passion for cricket sport will be invaluable if we continue to grow the game and raise the profile of Canadian cricket on the world stage,” said Cricket Canada.

The costs are just the newest black eye for the administrative body.

Two former players, Srimantha Wijeyeratne and Ammar Khalid, launched a complaint after he had been left behind the T20 World Cup team of Canada last year. The Sport Dispute Resolution Center of Canada ruled that the team selection of Cricket Canada was not made in accordance with its own selection policy and ordered that it would be saved from the rules.

Both players were left of the schedule.

Former Canada coach Pubudu Dassanayake, who testified that he “was surprised with the selected and disappointment of the team”, started an unlawful dismissal case against Cricket Canada. It is planned to go for a mediator.

Dassanayake left the team after last summer's T20 World Cup. At the time, Cricket Canada said that his contract was not extended when it went at the end of July.

The Dassanayake, born in Sri Lanka, who played for both Sri Lanka and Canada, was at the helm of Canada in his second Stint. He also coached Nepal (twice) and the US

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This report from the Canadian Press was first published on March 12, 2025

Neil Davidson, the Canadian press