Hyderabad: With the standoff between India and Pakistan over the Champions Trophy 2025 continuing, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are at risk of recurring financial loss. The board is likely to face a loss of USD 65 Million if the tournament is either moved or postponed according to a report by Cricbuzz. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already made it clear to the International Cricket Council (ICC) that they won’t be travelling to the country for the marquee tournament. The report adds that the loss would further extend the loss as PCB has made investments to upgrade infrastructure for the three earmarked venues for the Champions Trophy - Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore.
The tournament is set to take place in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9 according to some media reports.
This is supposed to be the first time Pakistan will host an ICC event after they co-hosted the ODI World Cup in 1996 and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wants to set an example with the hosting. However, India’s refusal to travel to the country and Pakistan not accepting a hybrid model for the Champions Trophy has added an element of uncertainty around the tournament hosting.
Pakistani newspaper ‘Dawn’ has reported that the Pakistan government has directed the PCB to pull out of the Champions Trophy. In case, both the teams pull out of the tournament, ICC might also face contractual challenges as broadcasters and sponsors are expecting to have a showdown between arch-rivals. Also, the likely consequences are commercial partners, potential revenue drops and a decline in the ICC’s financial distribution.
