Pakistan Cricket Board Announces Major Budget Changes for 2025-26 Season

Significant Budget Adjustments for Cricketers

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to implement substantial salary increases for centrally-contracted players, while domestic cricketers will experience a reduction in their earnings for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

According to a reliable source within the PCB, the recently approved budget of PKR 18.30 billion by the Board of Governors allocates PKR 1,173.49 million specifically for the centrally-contracted players and retainers, marking a 37% increase.

Additionally, the number of players receiving these contracts will rise from 25 to 30 this fiscal year.

This decision comes despite Pakistan's underwhelming performance across all formats in the previous fiscal year, where they failed to advance to the knockout rounds of both the ICC T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy held at home.

In Test matches, Pakistan suffered a 0-2 defeat against Bangladesh on home soil and managed only a 1-1 draw against the West Indies.

The source further revealed that the budget for domestic player contracts has been slashed by nearly 34%, decreasing from PKR 684 million to PKR 450 million.

In a bid to streamline operations, the PCB has restructured its domestic season, reducing the number of teams in the premier first-class competition, the Quaid Trophy, to eight, and has eliminated the previously introduced Champions Cup events.

Moreover, the PCB has increased funding for women's cricket, expanding the number of centrally-contracted female players from 16 to 24, with their total retainer amount soaring by 121% to PKR 69 million.

The budget for women's domestic contracts has seen a modest increase of 4%, now totaling PKR 37.2 million.

The board has also committed to managing 12 first-class grounds, ensuring their maintenance and pitch preparation will be handled by PCB staff, with an allocation of PKR 93.6 million for this purpose.

An additional PKR six billion will be invested in completing infrastructure developments at three major stadiums: Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, National Stadium in Karachi, and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, which had already received around PKR 18 billion in the previous fiscal year's budget.