The Cost of Failure: How Champions Trophy 2025 Becomes a Burden for Pakistan Cricket | TDG Explainer

Pakistan’s staging of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 was considered a momentous event, a milestone occasion for cricket in Pakistan. Both the government and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made massive investments into the tournament, renovating stadiums, upgrading infrastructure, and putting in place impeccable security. But several problems, such as washed-out matches, Pakistan’s early elimination, and waning fan interest, overshadowed the tournament.

Experts in Pakistan still see the event as a success and think it may open the doors for more international events, but there are apprehensions about financial losses, structural problems in Pakistan cricket, and the absence of star players.

Hybrid Model and Security Challenges

Pakistan staged the Champions Trophy on a hybrid model after India declined to send its team because of security issues. Consequently, India played all its matches in Dubai, denying Pakistani fans the much-awaited India-Pakistan encounter in one of their home grounds. The agony was compounded when Pakistan exited early following defeats to New Zealand and India.

Despite this, Pakistan undertook comprehensive security measures, having about 16,000 paramilitary and police personnel in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi in place to safeguard visiting teams. Australian captain Steve Smith, South African captain Temba Bavuma, and Mitchell Santner from New Zealand pointed out that they were more comfortable in Dubai compared to Pakistan owing to tight security measures. However, Dave Musker, safety and security manager at ICC, commended the event’s security coordination and called it a success.

Financial and Infrastructure Investments

With the Champions Trophy being awarded to Pakistan, it came as a resurgence for cricket within the nation. The government and PCB invested vast amounts of funds, with PKR 12.8 billion being spent on stadium upgrades alone, such as the National Bank Stadium (Karachi), the Gaddafi Stadium (Lahore), and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

The Gaddafi Stadium now has a seating capacity of 34,000, up from 21,000, whereas Karachi and Rawalpindi have their respective seating capacities set at 30,000 and 18,000.

The PCB initially put the cost of the event at PKR 8 billion, but security and logistical requirements saw costs rise. Hospitality and transportation costs alone, totalling $7-9 million. The PCB was expecting $70 million from the ICC, but unforeseen expenses resulted in financial pressure. It is reported that as much as an estimated $40 million was spent on renovations, while estimated revenue only totaled $10-12 million, resulting in questions regarding financial recovery.

Fan Disinterest and Low Attendance

Despite the enormous investment, the tournament witnessed poor attendance, even in Pakistan matches. The opening game against New Zealand in Karachi saw significant empty stands, which was unexpected in a cricket-loving nation. Several factors contributed to the low turnout:

• High Ticket Prices: Fans found ticket prices exorbitant compared to previous tournaments.
• Security Restrictions: Strict measures limited movement and affected the fan experience.
• Lack of Promotion: Inadequate marketing efforts failed to generate excitement.
• Pakistan’s Poor Performance: The early exit of the team disappointed local fans.

Pakistan’s loss to New Zealand in Karachi was a particularly low moment, as anticipated local support was lacking. The disappointing turnout questioned whether the tournament held public attention.

Cricketing Struggles and Lack of Star Players

Mohsin Raja, senior sports journalist from Pakistan, pointed out several reasons for the falling economic returns and viewer interest. “Our team’s poor performance upset the crowd. Some matches were washed out, and interest dwindled,” he claimed. “When your team is winning, the local crowd stays involved. But Pakistan was out of the Champions Trophy after the matches on the 19th and 23rd. The lack of home team involvement led to disinterest.”

He again stressed Pakistan’s absence of star players. “People in Pakistan are not taking interest in cricket because we don’t have a big star yet,” he said. Brushing aside Babar Azam as a superstar, he said, “Babar had a good start but couldn’t continue. Multiple reasons, including captaincy, team politics, fights with Shaheen, and internal grouping, affected him.”

Structural Issues in Pakistan Cricket

Raja identified that Pakistan’s cricketing issues arise from entrenched structural flaws. “People think that Pakistan’s national team struggles with merit and performance. But our problem starts from the bottom. There is no merit in first-class cricket, grade 2, or even the PSL,” he clarified.

He asked if Pakistan could produce new talent after winning the 2017 Champions Trophy. “Where is the new talent? Usman Khan, Nayyab Tahir—these players weren’t even considered for first-class cricket,” he said. He also condemned Pakistan’s old-style of play. “Two teams are scoring 350, and on our best days, we barely manage 240,” he said, pointing out Pakistan’s exit in the first round of three straight ICC events.

PCB’s Financial Troubles

The PCB, which was already financially troubled prior to the tournament, was further rocked by escalating costs. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi reportedly had to sell his own PKR 3.5 crore VIP ticket for the India-Pakistan game to raise money. The financial burden increased further as three games were washed out by rain, resulting in refunds of tickets and loss of revenue.

Even though the PCB was assured a hosting fee of $600,000 along with revenue from ticket sales, hospitality, and sponsorship, the washouts adversely affected earnings.

The Need for Drastic Changes

Mohsin Raja feels that Pakistan requires drastic reforms to revive its cricketing heights. “If I want to improve cricket in Pakistan, I will ban all players from the World Cups of 2023 and 2024, as well as the Champions Trophy 2025. Only then can we get serious about improvement,” he suggested.

Comparing Pakistan with India, he pointed out the disparity in talent development. India recently played a T20 series against England and won 4-1. They have a strong backup of talent, but we don’t,” he said. “Why does India produce talent like Jaiswal, whose father sold pani-puri? Why do we not have representation from lower-income backgrounds? The system is flawed.”

Was It Worth the Trouble?

With billions of rupees spent, abysmal attendance, and Pakistan’s premature exit, the Champions Trophy 2025 became a financial and sporting letdown. Though it was a milestone to host a large ICC event, public interest did not improve, and the team’s performance drowned out the positives.

In retrospect, the tournament was a risky gamble that did not work out as planned. The experience will be valuable for Pakistan if it ever hopes to host major cricket tournaments in the future without incurring financial losses.

What’s Next for Pakistan Cricket?

A source within the PCB said that the officials were highly disappointed with the performance of the team during thr Champions Trophy 2025, especially in the India match. “The board leadership accepts that there is no excuse or explanation for the team’s poor performance,” the source said.

Pakistan will visit New Zealand for a white-ball tour from March 15. Since Aaqib Javed’s interim head coach position expires on February 27, the PCB must appoint a new head coach for the tour. The appointment can be temporary, potentially choosing a person from the National High-Performance Centre since the board has not yet initiated the hiring of a permanent head coach. The PCB is anticipating completing a new coach by the upcoming ICC World Test Championship cycle in August.