The 2025 Champions Trophy was officially hosted by Pakistan, but India’s matches were played in Dubai. The tournament concluded with India emerging as the champions, while Pakistan, having failed to win any group-stage matches, was knocked out early. Following the event, reports claimed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had suffered a massive 85% loss, amounting to INR 869 crore. However, PCB officials quickly refuted these claims during a press conference.
Spokesperson Aamir Mir and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Javed Murtaza dismissed the reports, calling them nothing more than “propaganda” spread by the Indian media. They asserted that, contrary to the claims, PCB had made a significant profit, with revenues expected to reach PKR 3 billion.
Aamir Mir addressed the press, stating, “The objective of today’s conference is to counter the false narratives being spread by the Indian media regarding the Champions Trophy. There have been claims that the Pakistan Cricket Board has suffered significant financial losses due to the tournament. However, these are baseless allegations; we are here to set the record straight. Unfortunately, some of these misleading reports have also been picked up by Pakistani media, but the reality is entirely different.”
He emphasised the financial details, “The ICC covered all tournament expenses. The PCB generated revenue from gate receipts and ticket sales, and following the audit, we anticipate receiving an additional PKR 3 billion from the ICC.”
Additionally, a special arrangement between India and Pakistan, confirmed by the ICC, dictates that the two countries will not travel to each other’s territories for any ICC event until 2027. Instead, they will face off at neutral venues. As a result, their encounter in the 2026 T20 World Cup will take place in Colombo.
Mir also warned that if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had indeed caused financial harm to PCB by not sending the Indian team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, then India would face even greater financial setbacks in the 2026 T20 World Cup, as Pakistan would not be travelling to India for the event.