Security to eat up major part of Champions Trophy budget

ISLAMABAD: Hosting the Champions Trophy and discussing the security budget involved will be at the top of the cricket boards’ chiefs’ meeting in Sri Lanka on Monday (today). Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi has already reached Colombo (Sri Lanka) to participate in the meeting and answer the queries of the participating members if they have any.

The News has learnt that a handsome amount has been put forth for maintaining the security of the visiting teams and officials turning up for the event that will kick off at three different cities of the country in the first week of February 2025. “Security has always been a top priority. We have successfully hosted top teams of the world including Australia and England in the recent past,” an official said.

“The PCB has provided foolproof security to the teams visiting Pakistan. All the teams barring India have played series in Pakistan during the last three to four years and every visiting team has expressed its utmost satisfaction on Pakistan’s efforts to provide the best available security to respective teams.

The same security measures will be in order throughout the coming season, seeing Bangladesh, England, New Zealand, and South Africa turning up. Test series and triangular series will be played ahead of the Champions Trophy. Same measures will be in place for these international events to be played ahead of the Champions Trophy.”

When asked about other major expenditure on hosting the Champions Trophy, he mentioned board and lodging, and traveling through chartered flights from one city to another. “Traveling from one city to another through chartered flights and board and lodging of teams and officials are the major expenditure. The written documents have already been presented in the Chief Executive Officers’ meeting held over the last three days. The PCB Chairman will share all other relevant details about the Trophy.”

The PCB has already started investing heavily in the renovation of the stadiums to be used for the Champions Trophy. “The details on the uplift programme will also be shared with the boards’ heads.”

Pakistan is hosting any major international cricketing event following 28 years. “We know that the Champions Trophy is very important from Pakistan’s prospective. Every effort will be made to host it in a befitting manner.”

ICC’s Financial and Commercial Committee meeting was held on Sunday where security, teams, and players prize money and other relevant expenditures were discussed in detail. This year’s ICC conference, themed “Capitalising on the Olympic Opportunity,” will discuss topics such as “Diversity and Inclusion”, “environmental sustainability and the sport”, and “Cricket’s triumphant return at LA28”.