An audit reveals financial violations worth crores in PCB

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been surprised by a comprehensive audit report that uncovers huge financial irregularities totalling millions. The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) discovered a number of unauthorised payments, misappropriations, and illegal appointments during the fiscal year 2023-2024. This news comes as the PCB is already under criticism following Pakistan’s group-stage exit from the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, which will be hosted on home soil.

According to the report, over 63.39 million (Pakistani) rupees were paid to the police for meals during international match security duties, an expense that was deemed superfluous and wasted. Furthermore, the unauthorised hiring of three Under-16 coaches at the Karachi High-Performance Centre resulted in unwarranted salary payments totalling PKR 5.4 million.

Match officials were also payed by PKR 3.8 million, prompting worries about potential match-fixing. Notably, another discovery was the hiring of a Media Director in October 2023 without the due procedure. The job posting, application, approval, and appointment were all accomplished in one day, and the individual received a monthly salary of PKR 900,000.

Mohsin Naqvi, the head of the PCB, is facing criticism.

The audit also discovered that numerous contracts were given without a bid. These include ticketing contracts, international television rights, and media rights, the latter of which resulted in a direct financial loss of PKR 198 million when sold below the reserve price. Furthermore, overseas broadcasting rights were purportedly distributed in a non-transparent way, potentially resulting in a loss of USD 99 million. In another incident, the PCB failed to retrieve PKR 5.3 billion in overdue sponsorship dues.

The story has further increased the pressure on current PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister. Between February and June 2024, Naqvi allegedly received PKR 4.17 million in unauthorised payments for utilities, gasoline (POL), and accommodation, despite the fact that his government job already entitled him to these perks. Other suspicious expenses included PKR 19.8 million in diesel for bulletproof cars donated by the Punjab government, as well as PKR 22.5 million in hiring coasters.

The PCB has had instability, with three different chairmen since December 2022, including Najam Sethi, Zaka Ashraf, and presently Mohsin Naqvi. Meanwhile, the national squad is preparing for a tour of Bangladesh.