Despite previous claims, the Pakistan cricket team has benefited from the national sports budget in the past. The News reported that around Rs205 million was given from the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) fund to the 2017 Champions Trophy-winning cricket team.
Instead of using this money for developing Olympic sports, it was distributed among the cricketers.
Although the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has often stated that it never took funds from the national budget, records reveal otherwise.
The PSB’s documents submitted to NAB showed this substantial amount was taken from the Pakistan Sports Board funds for the cricketers, affecting the support for Olympic athletes. This action drew criticism from sports officials who highlighted the unfairness, especially when major events like the South Asian Games were imminent.
Officials expressed disappointment at the decision to allocate funds meant for other sports to cricket, emphasizing the PCB’s substantial resources and suggesting it could have covered the prize money for the Champions Trophy from its own funds.
They called for fair distribution of resources, especially as the PSB rarely supports other sports federations significantly.
In conclusion, concerns were raised regarding the diversion of funds from Olympic sports to cricket, suggesting a need for fairer distribution of resources and greater support for sports outside of cricket.
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