PCB’s Champions Trophy losses hit record high after wasting INR 869 crore on just 1 match

The Champions Trophy 2025 was expected to be a historic occasion for Pakistan cricket as it was the first ICC tournament in the country in years. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had to bear huge losses for hosting the tournament.

The reports claim that the PCB spent a massive amount of INR 869 crore for hosting the opening game of the tournament between hosts Pakistan and New Zealand. It also turned out to be Pakistan's only completed match of the tournament in the country.

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PCB's Champions Trophy losses soar to a record amount

The Pakistan leg of the tournament was hosted across three cities - Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi. According to The Telegraph, the PCB spent a total of PKR 18 billion (around $58 million) on the upgradation of each of the three venues that hosted the tournament in Pakistan.

It is 50 percent more than their total budget. The PCB also spent $40 million on event preparations. However, they made a revenue of only $6 million as part of the hosting fee, ticket sales, and sponsorships.

As a result, the board suffered a total loss of around $85 million for hosting the prestigious tournament. Their total loss accounts for a massive 85% of their budget which is way more than their expectations.

Pakistan played just a solitary game in the tournament at home, which was against New Zealand at Karachi. Their second group match was against India, which was played in Dubai due to the tournament's hybrid model.

The Men in Green were supposed to play their last match in Rawalpindi against Bangladesh. However, the match was washed out due to heavy rain. Pakistan were already out of the tournament before their final group game against Bangladesh but were looking for a consolation win.

Players face repercussions

The players were made to face the consequences of the losses incurred during the tournament. Recently, a report emerged that the players' match fees in the National T20 Championship were reduced by 90 percent.

According to Pakistan's daily newspaper 'Dawn', the match fees were reduced from INR 40,000 to INR 10,000 without any announcement by the board. However, the board chairman intervened in the matter and rejected the decision.

"The PCB had recently reduced match fees from ₹40,000 to ₹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," the Dawn reported.

"While the PCB has yet to officially disclose the revised amount, sources indicate it has been set at ₹30,000 per match — ₹10,000 less than last year," the report further added.

Pakistan's Champions Trophy campaign

Pakistan had a dismal tournament in the Champions Trophy. They were expected to do well as it was the first ICC tournament in their country in 29 years.

However, the players were unable to keep up to the country's expectations as they crashed out of the group stage by losing to New Zealand and India in their first two matches respectively.

Their third match against Bangladesh was washed out due to rain and they ultimately finished last in their group. India went on to become the eventual champions as they defeated New Zealand in the final at Dubai.