Cricket Canada has removed captain Saad Bin Zafar from the national squad, informing him of the decision by telephone rather than through an in-person meeting. Nicholas Kirton and Pargat Singh were also cut from the 15-man squad at the same time.
The removal comes at a critical moment for Canadian cricket. Canada’s hopes of securing ODI status depend on a strong finish in a final World Cup League 2 series against Oman and the United Arab Emirates next month. The board has not publicly stated the specific reasons behind the decision.
Bin Zafar has been a fixture in Canada’s national setup for 15 years, contributing with both bat and ball. He made his first-class debut for Canada in 2008 and went on to captain the side at the 2024 T20 World Cup, where Canada recorded an upset victory over Test nation Ireland.
What is the background to this decision?
According to Canadian media outlet Edmonton Sun, the removal of Bin Zafar is the latest in a series of administrative difficulties that have surrounded Cricket Canada in recent years. During the 2024 T20 World Cup, the board airlifted replacement players without consulting the coach or captain, a move that prompted head coach Pubudu Dassanayake to resign and file a wrongful dismissal case.
Nicholas Kirton, one of the players now cut from the squad, had been named captain at a farewell reception hosted by Brampton’s Patrick Brown. He was replaced by Dilpreet Singh once the squad landed in Sri Lanka for warm-up matches before the World Cup in India. Dilpreet Singh has since been placed under an ICC corruption investigation, with a decision on that matter still pending.
Bin Zafar had previously been dismissed from the captaincy before being recalled to lead Canada in the June 2026 World Cup League 2 tri-nation series against the Netherlands and the United States. Canada subsequently travelled to Scotland for League matches against Scotland and the United Arab Emirates but failed to make an impression. Several players arrived late for those matches after a national board member forgot to apply for visas in time, and players without contracts received a per diem of $100 per day, which was reported to be insufficient to cover lunch and dinner.
What are the next confirmed steps for Canada’s squad?
With the head coach position currently vacant following the expiry of Monty Desai’s contract after the WCL 3 series, Cricket Canada has appointed Amarinder Bhinder as assistant coach of the national squad. No head coach has been named to fill the vacancy.
Harsh Thaker and Shreyas Movya are being considered to replace Bin Zafar as captain for the upcoming series. The final series against Oman and the United Arab Emirates next month represents Canada’s last confirmed opportunity to secure the ODI status they have been pursuing through the World Cup League 2 pathway.
The administrative record surrounding the squad, including the visa oversight in Scotland, the unresolved ICC investigation involving Dilpreet Singh and the absence of a head coach, means Canada will enter that series with several off-field matters still unsettled.
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