Brampton won't host international GT20 cricket tournament this year, mayor says

CBC

20 hours ago

An international cricket tournament that was set to take place in Brampton will not happen this year, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown says.
Brown, who has called Brampton the "cricket capital of Canada," confirmed the cancellation of the GT20 in an interview with CBC Radio's Here and Now this week. Organizers have said the tournament last year attracted tens of thousands of attendees and 150 million worldwide TV viewers.
Brown said the cancellation is a "setback" because it means there won't be international cricket stars playing the game in Brampton this year, but he has high hopes for the future of the sport in the city.
"We're continuing to see new fields built. We're building Canada's first cricket stadium, which will be able to host major international matches, and so, I think there's lots of reason for optimism for cricket in Canada despite the cancellation of this tournament this year," Brown said.
In December, Cricket Canada, a non-profit organization that is the governing body for the sport in Canada, terminated its agreement with Bombay Sports, the company that hosted the tournament last year, due to a breach of contract.
"Despite multiple notifications and opportunities to rectify the defaults outlined in previous correspondence, Bombay Sports has failed to bring its performance in line with the terms set forth in the agreement," Cricket Canada said in a Dec. 23, 2024 news release.
In April, Cricket Canada announced that it had awarded a long-term license to the National Cricket League (NCL) Canada to operate the GT20.
"The agreement solidifies the partnership between Cricket Canada and NCL Canada, reinforcing Canada's position as a burgeoning hub for international cricket," Cricket Canada said in an April 14, 2025 news release.
"Under the NCL's leadership, GT20 is set to become a major driver for both domestic and international cricket in the region, with the long-term vision of developing a sustainable professional cricket ecosystem."
But Arun Agarwal, chairman of NCL Canada, told CBC Toronto in a recent interview that the NCL Canada was not prepared to put on another tournament this year.
"GT20 has some great legacy but last year it had its own challenges," he said.
Agarwal said by the time NCL finished its contracts and got the rights for GT20, it had a choice. It could have put the tournament on in a rush, or it could "take a break for the year, re-strategize, bring new energy around it, put some really amazing stakeholders, put a good advisory board around us."
And then he said it could "take GT20 where it belongs to be," making it "one of the premier tournaments in cricket around the world."
Cricket Canada, meanwhile, continues to deal with controversy. Salman Khan, CEO of the organization, was charged by Calgary police in March with theft and fraud over $5,000. Khan has denied the allegations.
In messages to CBC Toronto, Khan said he is still hopeful that there will be a GT20 tournament after the summer.
For his part, Brown said he's hopeful the developments won't tarnish the future of cricket in the country.