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Champions Trophy 2025 was a landmark event in Pakistani cricket history, as it was the first international competition to be hosted in the nation in 29 years. However, after investing INR 869 crore to play just one home game throughout the tournament, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) suffered an 85% loss, making it a complete financial and logistical failure.
The Telegraph reported that PCB upgraded all three venues—Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi—for PKR 18 billion, or roughly $58 million. This exceeded their budget by fifty per cent. They also invested $40 million in event planning. Nevertheless, they only received $6 million in compensation from ticket sales, sponsorships, and the hosting fee. This suggests that PCB lost almost $85 million.
Notably, the Pakistan team led by Muhammad Rizwan only played one game at home, against New Zealand, at Lahore's Gadaffi Stadium. Without even the toss, their subsequent game in Rawalpindi against Bangladesh was called off. Of the remaining eight games played in Pakistan, two more finished similarly.
The players were forced to endure the harsh repercussions of the 'financial misadventure' according to the report, as match fees for the national T20 championship were cut by 90% and reserve player wages by 87.5%. While the administrators continued to get millions in salary, these cricket players, who had previously been accommodated in five-star hotels, were forced to stay in budget accommodations.
Pakistani national daily Dawn's report stated that "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. 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."
