Cricket, the most beloved sport throughout the globe, is not just a game making runs, boundaries, and wickets, but it is also a huge economic juggernaut. It has a rich history going back to the 16th century. Even though cricket has come up from a rudimentary village game and has transformed into this massive international extravaganza that we are witnessing today.
After globalization in the late 20th century and the early 21st century, cricket also rose commercially and transformed itself from a pastime game into a multi-billion dollar industry. This happened because of the cricket boards all the countries have that promote, manage, and fund the sport.
The governing bodies make sure of the competitive spirit of the game as well as the economic viability. They do not just make strategies for game development and team management but also take care of commercial partnerships, brand endorsement, and financial planning. Here, we are going to learn about the richest cricket boards in the world.
Top 10 Richest Cricket Boards
The cricket board of any country is responsible for running the game in any nation. Moreover, it looks after the entire cricket structure and includes the domestic cricket entities as well. Also, the cricket board is responsible for everything that happens outside the field.
This includes broadcasting, running domestic cricket, administrative works, maintaining the cricket grounds, running the cricketing structure smoothly, and the logistics as well. Here, we have come up with the top ten richest cricket boards in the world.
Board Of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI)
With a huge net worth of two billion dollars, BCCI is the epitome of success in the world of cricket financially. This originated in India, where cricket is worshipped as a sport. Along with that, their immense wealth is the reason and result of the popularity of the sport in the country. IPL also works as a commercial strength and international attraction and has contributed to BCCI’s coffers.
They have also introduced WPL, or the Women’s Premier League, recently, which has also added to their portfolio. The commercial muscle of BCCI is flexed with a lot of broadcasting rights and numerous sponsorships, like Dream 11, IDFC, Hyundai, Paytm, and a lot more.
Cricket Australia (CA)
The Australian Cricket Board is second in place on the list of richest cricket boards in the world, with a net worth of seventy-nine million dollars. Also, CA is responsible for organizing the second-most popular 20 after IPL.
England And Wales Cricket Board (ECB)
ECB, or the England Cricket Board, stands in third place in terms of the richest cricket board. England has a huge fanbase and has the capability of gathering big crowds in all three formats. Moreover, they have a net worth of fifty-nine million dollars.
Read Also: Top 5 Players Who Have Scored Highest Run In Cricket History
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
The PCB, or the Pakistan Cricket Board, stands in fourth place on this list. South Asia has a great cricket fan base, and the Pakistan team has its own fanbase as well. However, One of the main reasons behind their revenue is the Pakistan Super League or PSL. They launched PSL back in 2016. The net worth of the Pakistan Cricket Board is fifty-five million dollars.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)
The BCB, or the Bangladesh Cricket Board, stands in the fifth position on the list. The board has witnessed significant strides over the last few years. That has happened because of the success of the national team and their popularity. Their net worth is fifty-one million dollars, and this is because the sport is gaining popularity in the nation.
Cricket South Africa (CSA)
The South African Cricket Board has a net worth of around forty-seven million dollars and has taken the sixth place in the list. The domestic structure of CSA is well developed, including the Betway T20 challenge and the List-A cricket. Additionally, the cricket board has introduced the South African T20 this year, in 2023. They are expecting that this is going to generate some revenue for the cricket board.
Read Also: Who Is The Most Popular Cricketer In The World?
Zimbabwe Cricket Board (ZCB)
The ZCB, or the Zimbabwe Cricket Board, comes in seventh place on the list of richest cricket boards in the world. The net worth of the ZCB is thirty-eight million dollars. ZCB is trying to improve its domestic structure and attract more investors for the sport.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC)
The Cricket Board of Sri Lanka has seen its revenue and sponsorship go down. This is the main reason behind the country’s financial instability. The Sri Lankan cricket team used to be one of the best teams in international cricket. But this loss in revenue has caused some anger to build up among the team members and their fans as well. The board is trying to boost its revenue and get some sponsorship for its cricket team.
West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)
The CWI, or the West Indies Cricket Board, stands in the ninth place of this list and has a net world of around fifteen million dollars. Similar to the SLC, the WICB has also faced revenue loss in the last few years. The West Indies cricket team used to be among the most formidable cricket teams the world has ever known, if not the most formidable.
They have faced financial constraints, and because of that, their performance has also gone down. Their main revenue source is their broadcasting rights from the Carribean Premier League or the CPL, which began in 2013.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC)
The NZC, or the New Zealand Cricket Board, is tenth on the list of the richest cricket boards this world has seen. Although it is one of the smaller cricketing nations, its net world is around nine million dollars. This is mainly because the team has been consistently performing well in international tournaments, and they have a great ability to attract sponsors and secure broadcasting deals.
Wrapping Up!
There are various modes through which the cricket board earns money, including selling media rights, sponsorships, and some other revenue sources. Every nation that has a cricket team has a cricket board, and all of these cricket bodies join together to form the ICC or the International Cricket Council. The mentioned cricket boards are among the richest cricket boards in the world.
Additional Reading:
