The final audit report, which uncovered significant financial violations totalling millions, shocked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). During the fiscal year 2023–2024, the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) discovered a number of improper appointments, misappropriations, and unauthorised payments. This disclosure comes as the PCB is already facing heat after Pakistan’s elimination in the group stage of the domestically held 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
The report claims that the police received approximately 63.39 million (Pakistani) rupees for meals while on security duty at international matches, an expense that was deemed superfluous and improper. Furthermore, PKR 5.4 million in unwarranted wage payments resulted from the Karachi High-Performance Center’s illegal hiring of three Under-16 coaches.
Concerns about potential match-fixing were raised by the PKR 3.8 million overpayment of match officials. Another noteworthy discovery was that a Media Director was appointed in October 2023 without completing the proper procedures. The person received a monthly salary of PKR 900,000 after completing the job posting, application, approval, and appointment in a single day.
Mohsin Naqvi, PCB chairman, is being criticised
Additionally, the audit found that a number of contracts were given out without a bidding process. These include international broadcasting rights, tickets contracts, and media rights, the latter of which resulted in a direct loss of PKR 198 million due to its sale below the reserve price. Additionally, it has been revealed that the distribution of overseas television rights was opaque, potentially costing USD 99 million. In another case, the PCB was unable to collect PKR 5.3 billion in unpaid sponsorship fees.
Current PCB chairman and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has also been under a great deal of criticism as a result of the report. Naqvi allegedly received PKR 4.17 million in unauthorised payments for utilities, gasoline (POL), and lodging between February and June 2024, even though his government job already qualified him for these perks. Additional dubious costs included PKR 22.5 million for leasing coasters and PKR 19.8 million for diesel for bulletproof cars supplied by the Punjab government.
Since December 2022, the PCB has experienced instability, having had three different chairmen: Mohsin Naqvi, Zaka Ashraf, and Najam Sethi. The national squad is now getting ready for a tour of Bangladesh in the meantime.
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