By Ijaz Kakakhel

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) expenditure on foreign trips undertaken by directors and senior management has crossed tens of millions of rupees over the past three financial years, with some officials recording particularly high travel-related expenses, according to the official expenditure details available with Wealth Pakistan.

The figures, covering financial years 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26, reveal significant spending on air travel, daily allowances, accommodation and surface transport for senior officials involved in international cricket affairs, tournaments, meetings and promotional activities.

The foreign travel expenses of the Chief Executive Officer (PSL) reached Rs14.9 million in 2024-25, compared to Rs11.45 million in 2023-24. Although the amount declined to Rs6.17 million in 2025-26, the three-year cumulative expenditure remained substantial. Air travel constituted the largest component of the CEO PSL’s foreign travel bill, accounting for more than Rs11.7 million in 2024-25 alone.

The expenses incurred on Director Coordination rose from Rs5.97 million in 2023-24 to a peak of 21.77 million rupees in 2024-25, the highest annual total recorded in the dataset. Nearly 90% of that amount was attributable to air travel, which reached Rs19.52 million during the year. Although expenditures for the position declined to Rs12.27 million in 2025-26, they remained among the highest across all management roles.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) also incurred notable foreign travel costs. The position recorded expenses of Rs3.92 million in 2024-25 and Rs4.32 million in 2025-26, primarily driven by airfare and accommodation charges.

Similarly, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) spent Rs4.26 million on foreign travel in 2024-25, compared with Rs1.08 million in 2023-24. The expenditure fell to Rs2.05 million in 2025-26, reflecting lower air travel and allowance costs.

Travel expenses were also recorded for several directors overseeing key PCB functions. The Director Media and Communications (A) incurred foreign travel expenses of Rs5.4 million in 2024-25, while spending declined sharply to Rs1.24 million in 2025-26.

The Director Pakistan Super League (PSL) reported expenses of Rs5.78 million in 2025-26, largely consisting of daily allowances, accommodation and airfare. The same office recorded only Rs104,746 in travel expenditure during 2023-24 and no expenditure in the following year.

The Director Teams Security spent Rs805,520 in 2023-24, Rs646,062 in 2024-25, and Rs3.83 million in 2025-26, indicating a sharp rise in overseas travel linked to security-related assignments.

Another entry for Director Coordination shows foreign travel expenses of Rs7.52 million in 2025-26, including more than Rs4.15 million on air travel.

The data highlights that air tickets remained the single largest cost component across most positions, followed by daily allowances and accommodation.

While PCB officials argue that international travel is necessary for participation in global cricket events, bilateral engagements and league-related activities, the figures are likely to trigger debate over the scale of overseas spending and the effectiveness of expenditure controls within the country’s cricket governing body.

Credit: INP-WealthPk