Will the Asia Cup T20 Proceed? PCB Faces Financial Dilemma Amid Uncertainty

Financial Concerns for PCB Amid Asia Cup Uncertainty

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is facing a potential financial crisis as uncertainty surrounds this year's Asia Cup T20 tournament, which could lead to significant revenue losses if the event does not take place as scheduled.

The PCB anticipates generating approximately 8.8 billion rupees this year from its share of revenue distributed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

Sources within the Board indicate that the PCB has earmarked around USD 25.9 million (roughly 7.7 billion rupees) for this fiscal year as its share from the ICC.

Additionally, the Board hopes to secure another 1.16 billion rupees from the Asia Cup and 7.77 million rupees from other international cricket events.

A knowledgeable insider emphasized, "The income from these two primary sources (ICC and Asia Cup) is crucial for the financial stability of Pakistan cricket."

The uncertainty regarding the Asia Cup's schedule and venue has intensified, particularly after PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi opted to attend the ICC meetings virtually instead of traveling to Singapore last weekend.

Naqvi, who also serves as the federal interior minister, participated in the AGM online.

According to the insider, PCB CEO Sumair Ahmed, who attended the ICC meeting, "didn't receive positive feedback" from the BCCI or the boards of Sri Lanka and Afghanistan regarding their attendance at the ACC meeting scheduled for July 24 in Dhaka to finalize Asia Cup arrangements.

"The PCB faced considerable opposition to the ACC scheduling the meeting in Dhaka. India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Oman, and several other associate member boards were firm about not traveling to Dhaka," the insider noted.

Discussions during the ICC meeting do not bode well for the Asia Cup's timely execution in September, especially since the BCCI is reluctant to send a representative to Dhaka.

Currently, the ACC is led by Naqvi.

Initially, India was set to host the Asia Cup in September, but due to the ongoing tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, the event is likely to be relocated to the UAE.

Earlier this year, Sumair was sent to Dubai for the Champions Trophy final ceremony, but due to a "miscommunication," he was not included among the officials on stage for the presentations.

Interestingly, the PCB's budget for the fiscal year includes an estimated revenue of 2.5 billion rupees from the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League.

The PCB's total budget for the fiscal year stands at approximately 18.8 billion rupees.