The ISI Playbook: Pakistan Proxies Hijacked Cricket Canada To Fund Khalistani Extremism Against India? | Exclusive
The ISI Playbook: Pakistan Proxies Hijacked Cricket Canada To Fund Khalistani Extremism Against India? | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: May 29, 2026, 17:37 IST
The ISI Playbook: Pakistan Proxies Hijacked Cricket Canada To Fund Khalistani Extremism Against India? | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: May 29, 2026, 17:37 IST At the epicentre of this 'institutional compromise' is Bilal Cheema, identified by intelligence agencies as a major lobbyist and operative for Pakistan's ISI According to top intelligence sources, the broader ISI-backed network operating within Canadian cricket utilises various administrative loopholes to divert revenue. (Representational picture: FB/GoCricketGoCanada) In an explosive investigation that serves as a massive wake-up call for North American sports administration, CNN-News18 has decoded a deeply entrenched network linking Pakistani intelligence proxies, street gangs, and match-fixing syndicates to the governance of Cricket Canada. Top Indian intelligence sources and operational briefs reveal that the sport’s administrative framework in Canada has been systematically hijacked. Far from a mere case of financial mismanagement, the investigation exposes how profits derived from Canadian cricket are actively redirected to fund anti-India activities, regional militancy, and transnational extremist operations across Western diasporas. At the epicentre of this “institutional compromise" is Bilal Cheema, identified by intelligence agencies as a major lobbyist and operative for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Operational briefs reveal that Cheema successfully engineered the appointment of his uncle, Amjad Bajwa, as the President of the Canada Cricket Control Board under direct instructions from his ISI handlers.
This administrative capture has provided a sophisticated front for illicit financial flows. Crucially, this infiltration comes at a highly sensitive time, as Cheema is currently campaigning for a municipal counsellor seat in Surrey, British Columbia, representing the Surrey First political party ahead of the October 2026 elections. The Mechanics of Financial Fraud and Street-Level Violence According to top intelligence sources, the broader ISI-backed network operating within Canadian cricket utilises various administrative loopholes to divert revenue. While sources clarify that the underlying extremism and Khalistani funding pipelines operate separate from official cricket governance, the sport’s finances act as a vital liquidity source. Intelligence reports point to Shahzad Bhatti, a Pakistan-based gangster with established terror links, as a central figure orchestrating massive cricket frauds in Canada. The alleged irregularities include the manipulation of International Cricket Council (ICC) funds—which constitute the vast majority of Cricket Canada’s revenue—alongside corrupt player and coach import schemes from Pakistan, and systematic fraud in hotel bookings. These illicit profits, alongside funds managed under former CEO Salman Khan—who faced formal theft and fraud charges—are routinely funnelled to bankroll anti-India operations. To maintain control over these lucrative streams, handlers have deployed brutal, cross-border South Asian crime syndicates to execute ground-level collections and extreme intimidation, turning the administration into a severe safety hazard.
The violence has hit the highest levels of the sport’s leadership. In May 2026, the Surrey, BC residence of President Arvinder Khosa was targeted in a terrifying extortion-related shooting that left multiple bullet holes in his home. This followed an earlier incident in Calgary, where a former Cricket Canada board member handling legal contracts and litigations had his home shot at twice, ultimately forcing his resignation out of sheer fear for his family’s safety. Compromised Integrity: ICC Probes and Match-Fixing Pipelines The administrative rot has allegedly completely compromised the integrity of actual match play on the international stage. The ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has now launched sweeping, formal investigations into Cricket Canada over suspected breaches of its anti-corruption code. Intelligence agencies have established that profits generated from aggressive match-fixing and spot-fixing are frequently transferred by Pakistani handlers to fund regional militancy and proxy operations across South Asia and Western nations. The ongoing ICC probes are looking directly into high-profile international matches, specifically drawing intense scrutiny over Canada’s match against New Zealand during the T20 World Cup. The suspicious nature of this fixture has raised immediate, concrete fears that international matches are being actively manipulated from the inside by compromised board officials.
With federal entities and global cricket watchdogs closing in, the exposure of this ISI-gangster nexus reveals how a sport meant to foster community integration has instead been weaponised into an active operational hub for transnational terror financing. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: May 29, 2026, 17:37 IST News world The ISI Playbook: Pakistan Proxies Hijacked Cricket Canada To Fund Khalistani Extremism Against India? | Exclusive Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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