The Alberta Cricket Council recently announced a number of outcomes from their second meeting on its Facebook page. This body is competing with the long standing Alberta Cricket Association to be recognised as the lead body for administration of cricket in the province – this has parallels in the comparatively recent past in Ontario, when the Ontario Cricket Council seized control in Ontario from the Ontario Cricket Association.
The Alberta Cricket Council has published its by-laws and constitution. It now has an elected executive, with Calgarian Ken Beaumont as President, and based on its composition, the ACC appears to have membership in Fort MacMurray, Calgary and Grand Prairie at least. They also announced a selection committee, led by ex-Cricket Canada national selector and player Khurram Chohan. The Alberta Womens Cricket League is recongised as a member.
The ACC grew out of the Calgary and District Cricket League, who split from the ACA and are in a legal dispute with its President Salman Khan. The ACA still appears to hold support in Edmonton, and more importantly is recognised by Cricket Canada, who issued a strongly worded statement of support last year. President Ranjit Saini also travelled to Alberta to be a guest of honour at the Edmonton Cricket League banquet. The ACA expelled C&DCL for non-payment of dues. The ACA set up a separate body in Calgary, the Calgary Cricket Council.
Ultimately recognition by Cricket Canada, as per their constitution, is dependent on the organization demonstrating effective control of cricket in that province. At the present time it is hard to determine if either organization can claim this. Cricket Canada needs to take a leadership role here- not by picking sides but by resolving the situation for the benefit of all cricketers in Alberta. Cricket cannot afford this public infighting and lack of coordination if it is to be taken seriously at government level, and Canada can’t afford to exclude players from the national programme because they belong to the “wrong” association. It will be interesting to see if the ACC applies for membership of Cricket Canada, and if they do, whether this how this will be dealt with.