By SRTeam BCCI is surely one of the richest cricket boards in the world, and the reason for that is pretty simple actually. They have an insanely large viewership in the world, which in return brings a lot of revenue. No two ways about that. But the thing is, we always talk about the richest cricket boards in the world, what about the poorest ones? Do you have any idea which ones are the poorest cricket boards in the world right now? Well, if that’s something you recently felt a bit curious about, then just keep on reading, here we’re about to share the list of the top 5 poorest cricket boards in the world as of 2025. Alright, here we go then.
1. New Zealand Cricket Board (NZC)
The New Zealand cricket team is one of the best teams in world cricket but when it comes to money, their cricket board is kinda struggling. Like, in 2025, NZC only made $9 million which is a really tiny amount in front of the big cricket boards like India’s BCCI or England’s ECB. But, you may be wondering like where is the actual problem, like, where are things going wrong for them? Well, just know that the NZC’s domestic T20 league, the Super Smash, does not earn them much money. And other than that, New Zealand’s Super Smash doesn’t have big-money sponsorships and broadcasting rights like the IPL or BBL. Furthermore, cricket stadiums in New Zealand are smaller, plus the fan base over there is smaller too, meaning lesser ticket sales overall.
2. West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)
You may have heard that there was a time when cricket used to be legendary in the West Indies, but in 2025, their cricket board was in severe financial trouble, but why exactly? Well, as per the financial reports, they don’t earn as much, like, last year they only brought a revenue of around $15 million. Looking at how good the West Indies team is, or has been for many years now, this financial number is kinda saddening to be honest. So, where are things going wrong for them actually? You see, the main problem is that the team is not doing well for a long time. As their losses increased, their sponsorship deals and ticket sales also started getting affected. The Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the domestic T20 league of the West Indies, is exciting but doesn’t generate IPL/PSL (Pakistan) level of revenues.
3. Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB)
Afghanistan may be getting stronger on the cricket field year after year, but its cricket board is one of the poorest. In 2025, they earned less than $17 million with most revenue coming from ICC sources and not sponsorships or ticket sales, you know? But why exactly? Afghanistan can’t hold international matches at home due to security problems. Sure enough, this means that Afghanistan plays its home matches in the UAE. This results in a loss of ticket sales and sponsorship money. Also, since they don’t have a strong domestic T20 league, they miss out on additional cash-making opportunities, you know, which is a big problem in itself.
4. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC)
Just like the West Indies, sure enough, back in the day, Sri Lanka’s cricketing talent was one of the best in the entire world. Though, today, in 2025, the Sri Lanka cricket board is facing one of its worst financial crises. Really? Yes! Like, they don’t make enough money, only $20 million, for a team that’s had so much cricketing history. One of the biggest reasons for this? Poor management and lack of sponsorship deals. Simple as that! Their homegrown T20 league called the Lanka Premier League (LPL) hasn’t been able to earn much money while their national team’s inconsistent performances have made things worse, you know? Like, not many people are coming to watch the matches and hence they are strapped for cash. Sure enough, from the looks of it, if they don’t make some foolproof financial changes, the future is not bright for them.
5. Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC)
Well, last on the list, you see, Zimbabwe has been facing shortcomings of funds issues in cricket for years and that won’t change in 2025 either, but why exactly? Though their revenue is $38 million, political instability and a weak economy leave the cricket board in a kinda pitiful state, which is again kinda hard to see as cricket lovers. You know, because of uncertainty, sponsors are not willing to put their money in Zimbabwe; that is why they lack strong financial backing and it is a big issue down there. The domestic cricket system is quite poor too, which means there is no steady stream of new talent.
Conclusion
That’s all. If we go by the revenue numbers of these cricket boards, well, these had to be the poorest cricket boards that are full-time members of ICC. Thankfully though, some of these cricket boards are trying new ways, like introducing new leagues to bump up that revenue number.