This year’s theme, “Beyond the Boundary,” highlighted cricket’s role in building community and connecting people

On Tuesday, October 6, Iqra Khalid, Member of Parliament for Mississauga—Erin Mills and Vice-Chair of the Canadian Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CCOM), and Alexandra Mendès, Member of Parliament and Chair of the Canadian Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, hosted the fourth annual Cricket Advocacy Day on Parliament Hill.

The day brought together athletes, youth and university students, women cricketers, coaches, advocates, and parliamentarians and diplomats, including the Honourable Adam van Koeverden, Secretary of State (Sport), President of the Treasury Board of Canada Shafqat Ali, MP Aslam Rana, and other Members of Parliament and Senators. The British High Commissioner to Canada, Rob Tinline, who captained the Commonwealth Diplomatic Corps team, also took part, along with over a dozen High Commissions from the Commonwealth. The event included a press conference at the House of Commons in the morning, followed by advocacy meetings with Members of Parliament across the Hill, a cricket match at the Rideau Hall Cricket Grounds, and an evening reception. In the afternoon, MP Khalid delivered a statement in the House of Commons regarding Cricket Advocacy Day and the significance of the sport’s growth in Canada and across the world.

The match also showcased the strong presence and talent of young women in the sport, including players aged 15 and 16, whom MP Khalid praised at the evening reception. This year, the parliamentarian team won against the Commonwealth Diplomatic Corps, after losing to them in each of the previous two years.

At meetings with parliamentarians, delegates sought support to make cricket more accessible and sustainable in Canada. They called for federal support for better facilities, affordable programs, and clear development pathways for Canadian athletes. They also emphasized inclusive participation for players with disabilities, athlete protection, and accountability.

At the evening reception, MP Khalid and High Commissioner Tinline spoke about cricket’s role in bringing people together.

MP Khalid’s Statement in the House of Commons

“Mr. Speaker, today, cricket returns to the Hill for the 4th year, and we are going beyond the boundary! Cricket is the fastest-growing sport in the world, with more than two billion fans. It’s been an official sport for Canada since before Confederation. Across the Commonwealth and beyond, cricket is a tool for diplomacy, bringing rivals to the same pitch. Here in Canada, over

300,000 players are already breaking boundaries on and off the field. Cricketers from all walks of life are building bridges through sport. To support them in their efforts, we need to build infrastructure, programs for growth, and accountability in the organizations. We need to think beyond the boundary and find common ground, at home and across the world, for a stronger Canada. Thank you.”

Excerpt from MP Khalid’s Evening Speech

“Every year – this is our fourth year now – we bring the community together to build bridges, not just amongst us as Canadians but also amongst us internationally. Amongst the Commonwealth, and amongst all of us as humans. Last year, we were pitching for peace. This year, we were going beyond the boundary. Because sport is not just about what happens at the pitch. It’s not about the batting, and the bowling, and the catching, and the fielding, and the fours and the sixes – it’s really about how we build community together. Whether it is here in my riding of Mississauga—Erin Mills, or in Ottawa, or in Ontario, or across our country, or across the Commonwealth, what can we do, collectively, to make sure that we are working in unison, that we are taking care of each other, that we are building those bridges, that we are making sure that nobody goes hungry, making sure that kids don’t have mental health challenges, making sure that seniors have something to do to keep them out of isolation from society. Sport has a massive role to play. And cricket is one of the largest growing sports in the world that unites so many of us. It’s about finding common ground, and I am super excited and really, really happy that so many of you have gathered here today, that you’ve taken out the time to contribute to who we are as a community, who we are as a society, and how we can grow together, how we can progress together. So, really, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so, so very much.”