ICC Approves $70 Million Budget for Champions Trophy in Pakistan
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved a budget of approximately USD 70 million for hosting the Champions Trophy in Pakistan next year.
According to a source close to the ICC, the budget was scrutinized and approved by the ICC’s financial and commercial committee, headed by BCCI secretary Jay Shah.
The budget was jointly prepared and submitted by the Pakistan Cricket Board and the ICC finance department.
The source revealed that only USD 4.5 million has been allocated as additional expenses, sparking speculations that the backup funds are in case India refuses to send its team to Pakistan.
In such a scenario, some matches might need to be played at other venues, but the source believes the additional amount is too meager compared to the overall budget to cover the costs of moving matches from Pakistan.
Jay Shah, who also heads the Asian Cricket Council, recently oversaw the decision to award the T20 format Asia Cup in 2025 to India and the 50-over format Asia Cup in 2027 to Bangladesh.
The source noted that India and Pakistan are in the same group for next year’s Asia Cup and could potentially play each other twice, including a possible third match if they qualify for the final.
Despite challenges and extra expenses during the 2023 Asia Cup held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the Asian Cricket Council managed to reap profits, largely due to the India-Pakistan matches.
