Lahore: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Spokesperson Amir Mir has said the PCB will receive an estimated amount of minimum Rs. 3 billion in profit from the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025, successfully held in Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference alongside PCB CFO Javed Murtaza at Gaddafi Stadium here on Thursday, he rejected the Indian propaganda that the PCB had faced heavy financial losses due to the Champions Trophy, adding that the Board had expected to earn Rs. 2 billion in profit, but it would get more than the earlier estimates.
Amir Mir, who is advisor to the PCB chairman, said the estimated profit would be earned from the ground money and the gate money in Pakistan and the UAE, adding that the PCB was in a very stable financial position and it would remain so in the years to come.
He said that the PCB was the third richest cricket board of the world as far as financial health was concerned, adding that there had been no decrease but increase in the monetary reserves of the board during the past one year. The successful conduct of the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan proved conclusively that Pakistan was capable of holding any international event in Pakistan. He said through successful conduct of the ICC Champions Trophy, Pakistan had dispelled the Indian propaganda of security issues in Pakistan, adding that all the teams of member countries came to Pakistan and no untoward incident took place. He regretted the fact that certain sections of the Pakistani media carried the fabricated Indian stories, adding that there was no need to pay heed to lies of the Indian media.
Amir Mir clarified that the PCB had not spent anything from its own pocket, as it was an International Cricket Council (ICC) event and the ICC was responsible for all expenditures and revenues. A budget of $70 million and $10 million were allocated for Pakistan, he added.
About the large sums of money incurred on the renovation and reconstruction of three stadiums prior to the Champions Trophy 2025 Pakistan, PCB CFO Javed Murtaza said that the renovation of the stadia in Pakistan was a long-standing requirement of the cricketing controlling body and no former PCB chairman dared to take the gauntlet. He said Chairman Mohsin Naqvi brought the Pakistani stadia at par with those in other member countries.
He said the up-gradation/reconstruction of the Gaddafi Stadium in mere 16 weeks was a huge achievement while all stadia had also been laced with international standard facilities and these stadia are a fixed asset of the PCB.
The PCB CFO further elaborated that upgradation of the cricket stadia in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi was a phased project, which would be completed in two years and Rs. 18 billion were earmarked for the upgradation and reconstruction, adding that Rs. 10.5 billion had been spent so far, out of Rs. 12.8 billion in the first phase while the rest would be spent on the roofing of the Gaddafi Stadium and other facilities immediately.
He said Faisalabad, Hyderabad and Multan stadiums are also to be upgraded as per vision of the Chairman PCB, adding that 6-7 venues will be available by the time we meet here next year.
Responding to the propaganda of financial losses to the PCB due to upgradation of cricket stadia, Javed Murtaza said expenditure on the stadia is not a loss but an investment into the future as these stadiums will serve the country's cricket for the next 30 years. He said the PCB has also invested in the real estate.
Amir Mir further said that the PCB had emerged financially strong under Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, adding that the Board was the only sporting body of the country which paid Rs. 4 billion to the government during the fiscal year 2023-24.
On the financial losses to Pakistan due to hybrid model, Amir Mir said the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) would face more losses than Pakistan faced in the CT 25 in the next three years under the hybrid model.
On the absence of the PCB representative at the prize distribution after final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai, he said PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi could not attend the ceremony due to health issues and Sumair Syed's name was forwarded to the ICC for representation. He said the PCB has expressed its dissatisfaction over the ICC response and the matter is pending with the ICC.
