The Champions Trophy 2025 was a historic event for Pakistan, bringing global cricket back to the country after nearly three decades.
However, the tournament turned into a financial setback for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which reportedly suffered losses amounting to 85% of its investment.
A report by The Telegraph stated that PCB spent around PKR 18 billion ($58 million) on stadium renovations in Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi—exceeding its original budget by 50%.
An additional $40 million was allocated for event preparations.
Despite these expenditures, PCB managed to earn only $6 million from hosting fees, ticket sales, and sponsorships, resulting in a total financial loss of approximately $85 million.
The situation worsened as rain disrupted several matches. Pakistan, under Mohammad Rizwan’s leadership, played only one completed home game against New Zealand in Lahore.
The scheduled fixture against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi was abandoned without a toss, while two other matches in Pakistan also ended without a result.
The financial crisis directly impacted domestic players, with match fees in the National T20 Championship being reduced by 90% and reserve player payments cut by 87.5%.
Players who previously stayed in luxury hotels were shifted to budget accommodations, while top PCB officials reportedly continued to receive substantial salaries.
According to Dawn, PCB initially reduced match fees from PKR 40,000 to PKR 10,000 without any official statement.
However, Chairman Mohsin Naqvi later intervened and instructed the board to reconsider the decision.
Sources indicate that the revised fee now stands at PKR 30,000 per match, still lower than the previous year’s amount.