Pakistan’s first international cricket tournament in 29 years, the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 turned into a money debacle for the Pakistan Cricket Board rather than being an occasion of joy. The board was said to incur an 85% loss following the expenditure of a whopping INR 869 crore (USD 85 million) to organize the event with most of the matches being rain-washed out or conducted elsewhere.
Gigantic Investment, Small Returns of Champions Trophy
In a report by The Telegraph India, it was estimated that the Pakistan Cricket Board had spent PKR 18 billion (some USD 58 million) to upgrade three facilities—Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi. It was 50% more than the original budget. Another USD 40 million was also utilized for event planning. In spite of this, PCB could generate only USD 6 million as revenue from hosting fee, gate collections, and sponsorships, leaving them in a huge loss.
The tournament witnessed Pakistan’s national team play only one completed home match. Mohammad Rizwan-led Pakistan played against New Zealand in Lahore. Their match against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi was, however, abandoned because of rain, along with two other matches in the tournament. After losing to New Zealand and India, Pakistan was eliminated from the tournament, cutting their campaign short.
Players Suffer the Loss of Money
The fiscal loss had drastic consequences, particularly for local cricketers. According to Pakistani newspaper Dawn, PCB severely cut match fees for the National T20 Championship by half, lowering them from INR 40,000 to INR 10,000—a reduction of 90%. Reserve players’ payments were also slashed by 87.5%.
The report pointed out that while PCB officials kept getting fat paychecks, local cricketers received budget adjustments rather than five-star hotel accommodations, which indicated the financial burden on the board.
A Dawn source revealed, ” The PCB had recently reduced match fees from Rs 40,000 to Rs 10,000 without any official announcement…however PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi intervened, rejecting the decision and directing the board’s domestic cricket department to reassess the matter. While the PCB has yet to officially disclose the revised amount, sources indicate it has been set at Rs 30,000 per match — Rs 10,000 less than last year.’
Champions Trophy Performance and Fallout
Pakistan’s Champions Trophy tournament was short. They lost an early game of their Group A match to New Zealand in Lahore before moving to Dubai to face India next. Their third and last group stage match against Bangladesh was abandoned as it was raining. Having only one match at home that they completed, their tournament came to an end in disappointment.
The huge financial setback has made PCB wrestle with its national cricket setup. The failure of the Champions Trophy 2025 has sparked worries over whether Pakistan will be able to host international tournaments in the future successfully. It also calls into question the board’s financial management and whether it can efficiently handle large-scale cricket tournaments.
Future Implications for Pakistan Cricket
With the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 becoming a financial failure, the PCB will have to re-evaluate its hosting strategies for upcoming events. The losses have already reflected on player salaries and domestic tournament formats, and if the board does not revive soon, it might have lasting effects on Pakistan cricket.
The fiscal mismanagement of this event has precipitated controversies regarding PCB’s planning and administrative efficiency. In the future, the board will be required to implement tighter budgeting and revenue-raising measures to prevent such losses in future international events.