PCB suffers Rs 739 crore loss for hosting first ICC event in 29 years-Champions Trophy 2025

Pakistan had hosted the 1996 ODI World Cup, their last ICC event. While that went well, the desire to host another ICC event has led to heavy losses.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has paid a hefty price for hosting their first ICC tournament in 29 years, the 2025 Champions Trophy. After securing the rights to host the event in 2021, the PCB spent 100 million (Rs 869 crore) to prepare for the tournament.

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Hosting Champions Trophy hurts PCB financially

They hit a snag a couple of months before the event started, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refused to send the Indian cricket team coming to Pakistan following the Indian government’s advice.

Due to this, five of the most lucrative matches were moved to Dubai. This included the first ICC Champions Trophy semifinal and final. And the biggest money maker, the India vs. Pakistan match.

Of the remaining 10 matches that were played in Pakistan, three were washed out as well. To top that, the Pakistan cricket team was knocked out of the ICC Champions Trophy just six days after the tournament started.

According to a report by The Telegraph, the PCB spent PKR 18 billion (Rs 560 crore) on the renovations of three stadiums in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi. This sum was 50% in excess of their original budget. And another $40 million (Rs 347 crore) for preparations.

In return, they earned just $6 million (Rs 52 crore) from hosting fees and ticket sales. As a result, they have suffered a whopping $85 million (Rs 739 crore) loss.

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PCB recovers losses from domestic players’ pockets

To control the financial damage, PCB has decided to take money out of players pockets. They have slashed the match fee for domestic T20 players.

The match fee has been slashed by 90% for players part of the squad, while those who are part of reserves will get just 12.50% of what they used to get. Previously, domestic players used to stay in luxurious hotels; now they are being accommodated in budget lodgings.

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