Cricket in Pakistan is not just a game — it’s an industry. Behind every televised match, stadium renovation and player contract there’s a balance sheet, and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has become a major commercial organisation over the past decade. This post breaks down the PCB’s money: the main income streams, the biggest expenses, recent budget numbers you should know, and the transparency questions that have come up. I’ve used official PCB documents and recent reporting to keep this grounded in verifiable facts — you’ll find sources for the key claims under each section.
Quick headline figures (recent years)
- The PCB approved a budget of PKR 18.30 billion for fiscal year 2025–26.
- PCB officials said the board recorded a PKR 10 billion result (figure reported as a record profit/major revenue milestone) in the 2023–24 period.
- Reporting shows the PCB’s total revenue for 2024–25 was about PKR 21.81 billion and expenditures roughly PKR 21.63 billion.
- An Auditor-General review flagged roughly PKR 6 billion (≈US$21 million) in irregularities and unrecovered sponsorship amounts — a material governance issue the board is facing.
(Those numbers are the load-bearing facts referenced throughout the post. Official financial statements and annual reports are available on the PCB website.)
Where PCB’s money comes from — the main buckets
1. ICC distributions (central payments)
The International Cricket Council (ICC) pays member boards a share of tournament revenues, broadcast proceeds and commercial pools. For Pakistan, ICC receipts are a stable, predictable income stream — and a material one. In recent reporting, PCB expected a sizable ICC share (figures cited in press coverage put the PCB’s expected ICC-related receipts in the multi-million-dollar range for the year).
2. Pakistan Super League (PSL): broadcast + sponsorship + match receipts
The PSL is the PCB’s flagship commercial product. Income here comes from TV and streaming rights, title and team sponsorships, and ticketing. The value of PSL media and streaming rights has risen significantly in recent seasons — PCB and industry reporting cite double-digit percentage increases in streaming-rights value and multi-million-dollar broadcast deals for recent seasons. That growth has been a major reason PCB’s commercial line improved.
3. Hosting ICC events and international series
Hosting major ICC events (e.g., the 2025 Champions Trophy) and more home bilateral series generates gate receipts, hospitality income and local commercial opportunities. PCB officials said hosting the Champions Trophy added materially to the board’s coffers, and prize pools and ICC event accounting also affect the board’s bottom line. (Tournament prize pots and related distributions are set by the ICC.)
4. Broadcast rights for home bilateral cricket & domestic streaming
Outside the PSL, PCB sells broadcast and streaming rights for home bilateral series and domestic tournaments. These deals vary by opponent, location and platform, but they form an important recurring revenue channel. Recent tenders and bids listed by the PCB show the organisation actively monetises domestic broadcast/streaming rights.
5. Sponsorship, commercial partnerships and vendor rights
Title sponsors, kit deals, in-stadium vendors, hospitality packages and other commercial partners pay fees or revenue shares. The PCB’s public documents list numerous commercial tenders and vendor contracts for events and venues. However, audit reporting has flagged significant outstanding/unrecovered sponsorship amounts — which underlines both the value and the risk in this revenue stream.
6. Match-day income, ticketing and merchandising
Gate receipts, corporate boxes, food & beverage concessions and (growing) merchandising are smaller than media or ICC payments but add useful margins during well-attended events. For high-profile events and PSL matches staged inside Pakistan, these receipts contribute meaningfully to event economics.
7. Other sources: coaching, courses, grants, and investments
The PCB also earns from coach education programs, the National Cricket Academy activities, licensing and small commercial lines — all listed among the items and tenders on the PCB’s documents page. These are supplementary but steady.
Where the money goes — major expense lines
1. Players and central contracts
A large share of PCB expenditure is player pay: central contracts, match fees, bonuses, insurance and player welfare. PCB has, at times, adjusted central contract pay and match fees (recent reporting shows the board increased certain central contract salaries while also reworking domestic match-fee structures). Player payments are one of the most visible and politically charged lines on the PCB ledger.
2. Team operations, tours and match hosting costs
Tour logistics — flights, hotels, food, insurance, security and local hosting — add up quickly, especially for long tours or multi-nation events. Hosting international teams also requires high security and event management budgets when matches are staged in Pakistan. The cost of staging large ICC events can be substantial even when part of expenses are covered by the ICC.
3. Stadium upgrades, infrastructure and capital projects
In recent years the PCB invested heavily in upgrading Gaddafi Stadium (Lahore), National Stadium (Karachi) and Rawalpindi’s stadium in advance of ICC events. Reports put stadium renovation costs in the billions of rupees and the board included significant capital spending in recent budgets. Stadium modernisation is an expensive but long-term asset play.
4. Running the domestic game and development programs
Money is allocated to domestic competitions, youth pathways, the NCA (National Cricket Academy), women’s cricket and development initiatives. Recent coverage notes cuts and restructuring in domestic pay lines even as central contracts were increased — a reflection of competing priorities in a fixed budget.
5. Administration, governance and contingency
Salaries, office costs, legal, audit and compliance are continuous expenditures. The Auditor-General’s recent findings about irregularities and unrecovered sponsorship money have put a spotlight on governance and the need for stricter financial controls — and those oversight processes themselves cost money to implement well.
6. Event production and franchise payments (PSL)
Running the PSL requires production, broadcasting costs, match officials, prize money and operational staff. Some costs are recouped via rights and sponsorship; some are shared with franchise owners depending on deal structure. The net contribution from PSL depends on rights pricing, sponsorship uptake and event turnout.
Recent budgets and what they tell us
- FY 2025–26 budget: The PCB’s Board of Governors passed a PKR 18.30 billion budget for 2025–26. That document shows the board remains a large financial actor with multi-billion-rupee planning for operations and capital outlay.
- FY 2024–25 snapshot: Reported total revenue for 2024–25 totaled around PKR 21.81 billion with expenditures near PKR 21.63 billion, indicating a near-break-even fiscal year when the year’s items were tallied.
- FY 2023–24 claims: PCB spokespeople stated that PCB achieved a strong financial performance — a widely reported figure was PKR 10 billion (often described as a record result for that year) driven by event income and commercial growth. Reporters and the PCB differ in context (some figures refer to profit, others to revenue growth), so read official financial statements for the accounting detail.
(If you want the line-by-line accounting, the PCB’s audited financial statements and annual reports are published online and are the primary source documents. They list income streams, note receivables and disclose auditors’ remarks.)
Red flags and governance — what the auditors found
In mid-2025, the Auditor-General’s report and independent reporting flagged about PKR 6 billion in irregularities and problems including unrecovered sponsorship amounts (reported as roughly PKR 5.3 billion in one account), unauthorised payments and governance lapses. That led to intense media scrutiny and calls for more transparent financial controls. PCB officials have responded publicly to some of these points; the audit recommendations are now part of the public debate on accountability.
Why this matters: big commercial deals and large capital projects amplify the impact of any weak controls. When sponsorship money is outstanding or capital projects run over budget, that stress appears quickly in operating budgets and in public trust.
Short, practical takeaways for fans and readers
- PSL (media + sponsors) and ICC receipts are the two biggest engines of PCB’s revenue growth. Strong deals there help everything else.
- Hosting ICC events brings revenue but also huge upfront costs (stadiums, security, production). The net outcome depends on contracts, ICC reimbursements and local commercial take-up.
- Auditor findings are a red flag: unrecovered sponsorship sums and governance issues must be addressed to keep the board’s finances healthy and credible.
- The board publishes audited statements — always check those PDFs for the full accounting if you want a detailed line-by-line view.
Final note (why this matters beyond numbers)
Cricket finances are about more than balance sheets: they shape the opportunities young players get, the quality of domestic competitions, and the ability to host top international cricket in Pakistan. The PCB has shown it can grow commercial income — PSL and recent event hosting are proof of that — but growth brings responsibility. Clear accounts, timely audits, and follow-through on audit recommendations will matter just as much as big broadcast deals.