The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is once again under the spotlight for financial mismanagement, as revealed by a damning audit from the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP). According to the audit, the PCB has suffered massive financial losses due to poor governance, lack of transparency, and failure to adhere to proper procedures in awarding contracts.
PCB Loses Millions Due to Poor Media and Sponsorship Deals
The AGP report has highlighted that the PCB lost PKR 198 million by awarding media rights for less than the reserved price. Even more concerning is the fact that the board failed to recover USD 99 million after awarding international media rights without any open competition. Additionally, a staggering PKR 5.3 billion remains unrecovered from outstanding sponsorship amounts.
These findings point to a pattern of negligence in financial dealings, raising serious concerns about how media rights and sponsorships are being handled. This is not the first time that the PCB has been flagged for such issues, yet accountability remains elusive.
Repeated Warnings, No Accountability for PCB Leadership
Over the past three years, the PCB has seen frequent leadership changes with Ramiz Raja, Najam Sethi, and Zaka Ashraf each taking turns as chairmen. Despite repeated warnings from the Auditor General, no substantial action has been taken against any of them. The current PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, assumed office in February 2024 and now faces mounting pressure to restore credibility to the organization.
Apart from the major financial lapses, the audit also revealed several other irregularities:
- Payment of PKR 63.39 million to police for security during international matches, which lacked proper authorization
- Unauthorised appointments of Under-16 coaches at the High-Performance Centre in Karachi
- Irregular awarding of ticketing contracts worth PKR 5.4 million without open competition
These issues paint a troubling picture of internal mismanagement and lack of procedural checks.
In light of the findings, stakeholders are calling for stricter oversight and immediate reforms within the PCB. As the national cricket body continues to face growing scrutiny, all eyes are now on Chairman Mohsin Naqvi to take decisive steps and ensure accountability moving forward.
