The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is under serious criticism. A new audit report from the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has exposed big financial irregularities between June 2023 and July 2024.
The report shows a pattern of poor management and lack of transparency. It highlights problems during the terms of PCB chairmen Najam Sethi, Zaka Ashraf, and Mohsin Naqvi.
Major Financial Irregularities in Pakistan Cricket Board
One of the major issues is the payment of Rs. 63.39 million to the police. This was supposedly for providing meals during security duties at international matches. But no proper records or approvals were found.
Another issue was the illegal hiring of three under-16 coaches at the High Performance Centre in Karachi. These appointments were made without any official recruitment process. The cost of this was Rs. 5.4 million.
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The report also raised questions about the appointment of a Director Media in October 2023. Although the job was advertised on August 17, the entire process including application, approval, and joining happened on a single day on October 2. This suggests the selection was already decided.
The PCB also made overpayments of Rs. 3.8 million to match officials. The Director Media was given an unauthorised salary of Rs. 900,000 per month, according to a report by the Times of India (TOI).
Huge Losses and Unaccounted Spending in PCB
The AGP report also found:
- Rs. 19.8 million was spent on diesel for bulletproof vehicles.
- Rs. 22.5 million was paid for hiring transport coasters.
- A loss of Rs. 198 million came from selling media rights below the reserve price.
- Broadcasting rights worth USD 99 million were given without open bidding.
- Rs. 5.3 billion in sponsorship money remains uncollected.
This is not the first time PCB has faced such allegations. However, no action has been taken against any chairman till date. The AGP has again asked for major reforms, better financial control, and strict accountability. The cricket board now faces growing pressure to fix its system and regain public trust.
