Court suspends order to disclose cricketers’ salaries, PCB financial records

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday suspended an order requiring the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to disclose the salaries, match fees and other financial benefits of national cricketers, as well as detailed financial records relating to a Pakistan-South Africa one-day international series, pending further hearings.

IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar granted interim relief to the PCB on  petitions challenging separate decisions issued by the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) on July 9, which directed the cricket board to provide the requested information to citizens under the country’s right-to-information framework.

The court issued notices to the Pakistan Information Commission and the applicants seeking the information, directing them to submit their responses while staying implementation of the commission’s decisions until the next hearing.

In the first case, the Information Commission had ordered the PCB to disclose details relating to national players’ central contracts, salaries, match fees, allowances, the board’s budget and other financial benefits.

Appearing on behalf of the PCB, lawyer Kashif Malik argued that the information sought extended beyond institutional expenditure and included the personal financial information of individual players as well as confidential contractual arrangements.

He contended that the commission’s order required disclosure of information protected by confidentiality and therefore should not be implemented.

The court accepted the request for interim relief and suspended implementation of the Information Commission’s order until further proceedings.

In a separate but related case, the high court also stayed another Information Commission order directing the PCB to disclose financial and administrative details of Pakistan’s one-day international series against South Africa, held at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad in November 2025.

According to the PCB’s petition, the Information Commission had directed the board to provide the requested information within 10 days.

The requested records include revenue generated from broadcasting rights, sponsorship agreements, advertising, ticket sales and other income sources associated with the series.

The applicant had also sought details of prize money and match fees paid to players, payments made for security arrangements, stadium management expenses and funds paid to the district administration.

In addition, information was requested on measures taken to upgrade Iqbal Stadium to make it eligible to host Pakistan Super League Season 12 matches.

The PCB argued that the Information Commission’s decision was legally flawed and asked the court to set it aside.

After hearing the arguments, the Islamabad High Court suspended implementation of the commission’s order, issued notices to the Pakistan Information Commission and the applicant, Naeem Ahmad, and adjourned further proceedings.