"Well, 91 of 96 players have been contracted ... it's going ahead.

"You're dealing with players from multiple countries. It's not as straightforward as you think."

The report also claimed temporary stands had not been erected to turn the Maple Leaf Cricket Club, 40 minutes north of Toronto, into a 7000-seat venue in time for all 22 matches to be held there.

"A world-class sporting event like this probably takes six to eight months to pull off. We're trying to pull it together in eight weeks," Harper said.

"When articles come out like that, it's deflating to our team because we are really putting in a lot of work."

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Harper also rubbished suggestions there was no television deal in place or that there were no tickets.

However, as of Monday AEST, the tournament's website was still asking fans to register to receive ticket details.

"We're finalising some really impressive deals with local and international service providers in the broadcast space ... in the subcontinent and in Australia," Harper said, adding a draw for the tournament was only days away.

Smith and Warner are three months into a one-year ban imposed by Cricket Australia for their roles, alongside Cameron Bancroft, in the ball-tampering saga in Cape Town in March.

In what will be their first competitive matches since, Warner will line up for the Winnipeg Hawks while Smith will headline the Toronto Nationals, where he's also scheduled to conduct coaching clinics.

"They are amazing, world-class players," Harper said.

"To have those guys believe in our tournament and support what we're tying to do is special.

"Steve's initiative, with charity and coming back to the game after the mishaps of a few months ago, is huge for Canada."

The Toronto league is owned by Mercuri Canada Limited, a spin-off of Mercuri Talent Management, which is run by Indian entrepreneur Sriram Bakthisaran.