In less than seven months since the launch of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport’s (CCES) Canadian Safe Sport Program (CSSP), Cricket Canada’s participation contract has been suspended for failing to meet compliance requirements — making cricket one of the first national sports bodies to face such action.

The suspension, effective October 14, 2025, was imposed due to Cricket Canada’s failure to ensure participant completion of mandatory e-learning and consent requirements under the CSSP adoption contract. The decision could have wide-reaching consequences, including the potential loss of federal or provincial funding and restrictions related to anti-doping clearances, which could prevent Canadian players from qualifying for certain tournaments.

The CCES, an independent, national, not-for-profit organization funded by the Government of Canada, oversees programs such as the Canadian Anti-Doping Program and the CSSP to ensure sport remains “safe, inclusive, fair, clean, and accessible for all Canadians.”

Megan Cumming of the Canadian Safe Sport Program explained, “The program was launched on April 1 this year and has been adopted by more than 90 national-level, federally funded sport organizations. We receive and respond to reports about individuals who may have engaged in prohibited behavior under the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS).”

Cumming stressed the importance of accountability in sport governance. “For sport participants to be protected, there must be a way for individuals who engage in unacceptable conduct to be held accountable. The obligations under the CSSP adoption contract are in place to protect participants and to reinforce the collective responsibility of the sport community in upholding safe sport standards.”

She added, “The impact of this suspension on athletes, and the other individuals that Cricket Canada had identified as CSSP participants, is that they are no longer protected by the CSSP Rules, as we would not be able to accept jurisdiction of a report of maltreatment.”

Cumming confirmed that the CCES “continues to work with Cricket Canada,” noting that if the organization fulfills its outstanding obligations — including the completion of the e-learning module and signing of consent forms — “the contract will be reinstated and we will issue a media release to ensure participants are informed.”

The CCES said it had been assisting Cricket Canada since the April 1 deadline to implement the program. Despite six months of engagement, the organization has not met the required standards, and both Cricket Canada and Sport Canada have been officially notified of the suspension.

As a result, individuals previously covered by the CSSP through Cricket Canada no longer have access to CSSP reporting mechanisms or protections and are advised to contact Cricket Canada for alternative reporting options.

Under the CSSP, adopting sports organizations are required to ensure that participants complete the 40-minute e-learning module and sign the consent form — foundational steps to understanding rights and responsibilities under the program. Without these, the CCES cannot process safe sport reports involving the organization’s members.

The CCES reaffirmed that these requirements are designed “to protect all participants and to reinforce the collective responsibility of the sport community in upholding safe sport standards.”

Related posts:

BC Place in Vancouver to Host Inaugural Canada Super 60 T10 Cricket League City of Brampton Breaks Ground on Cassie Campbell Field Hockey and Multisport Training Dome Cricket Advocacy Day at Parliament Hill Showcases Sport’s Rapid Growth in Canada Canada Super 60 T10 Cricket League to Debut Indoors at BC Place During Diwali Season