Has BCCI failed to be a proper (and safe) ICC host?

[Nikhil_cric]

I think a more simple solution rather than blaming visiting fans would be to have played in a smaller stadium. BCCI organisation should be held to account.

If foreigners dont want to travel to India, and Indians cant be bothered filling stadiums then why play at Modi stadium?

This was a complete shambles today and not the visuals befitting a major sporting event.

Not a good argument. Basically, a ground like MCG should stop hosting cricket unless it gets an India -Pakistan match.

Even Boxing Day Ashes Test Day 1 got less than 60 % capacity .

 

[cricketjoshila]

A Pakistani stadium would have a sold out stadium for an opener of a tournamnet no matter what the capacity because we have more demand for Cricket in cities like Rawalpindi and Multan.


However, i understand India cannot have a sold out crowd.

The saffron colors of the seat were more visible than the 47k people. Maybe next time make a stadium of a capacity where people actually show up.

If i were you, instead of boosting about fake narratives i would be more concerned with the money wasted on a concrete structure that couldn't be sold out.

Now, everytime Modi stadium does not get to be sold out, we will see the likes of celebrating 20k 30k numbers, lol.

Its no big deal to fill up 30k capacity small stadiums since you think 47k is poor attendance.

People show up in matches that interest them. IPL had huge crowds. So do India matches and those are the matches that will be mostly hosted by the stadium.

If i were you i would be more concerned about Pakistan's economic condition, non existence of democracy, falling passport and not about a stadium in another country. But i understand you need to cope.

45k will fill up most stadiums outside India, I don't see how that's a problem unless India or IPL matches go empty.

 

[mominsaigol]

What is wrong with breastfeeding in public? . It's a basic human right. If you dont want to watch , look away. Just seems very insecure on your part to be bothered by someone breastfeeding.

The goal of the post was the very basic lack of security on checking people, the breastfeed part was an example. No one in their right mind would bring an infant baby new born baby to a cricket stadium for obvious reasons unless their atleast a few months old lol.

The grounds are beautiful but security should atleast be racked up to a certain degree. What if someone is carrying a knife? Theirs no protocol to check.

Sure in Australia its banned to carry knives or any weapons in public but the fact that theirs no security is an issue regardless.

 

[Major]

Its no big deal to fill up 30k capacity small stadiums since you think 47k is poor attendance.

People show up in matches that interest them. IPL had huge crowds. So do India matches and those are the matches that will be mostly hosted by the stadium.

If i were you i would be more concerned about Pakistan's economic condition, non existence of democracy, falling passport and not about a stadium in another country. But i understand you need to cope.

45k will fill up most stadiums outside India, I don't see how that's a problem unless India or IPL matches go empty.

We are not stupid to make a stadium if that capacity is not gonna show up.

You can even make a 200K capacity stadium, its not like its not possible, question is will 200k people show up?

A 110-130k stadium was made by India, and the project is a failiure. Thing is there is an operation cost that is there when running such a stadium, and while you can boost about 45k people, still the gap is massive and it only adds to the running cost. And for visuals, it looks very ugly.

@MenInG bro if you could take note of his post where he is trying to divert topics towards Pakistani politics

 

[Hitman]

Its no big deal to fill up 30k capacity small stadiums since you think 47k is poor attendance.

People show up in matches that interest them. IPL had huge crowds. So do India matches and those are the matches that will be mostly hosted by the stadium.

If i were you i would be more concerned about Pakistan's economic condition, non existence of democracy, falling passport and not about a stadium in another country. But i understand you need to cope.

45k will fill up most stadiums outside India, I don't see how that's a problem unless India or IPL matches go empty.

Why would anyone expect such a huge capacity stadium to be filled to capacity unless India plays, or unless it's a World Cup final, or unless it's an IPL match?

Anyone with sense won't expect it be be filled to capacity in a random World Cup match not involving India.

 

[cricketjoshila]

We are not stupid to make a stadium if that capacity is not gonna show up.

You can even make a 200K capacity stadium, its not like its not possible, question is will 200k people show up?

A 110-130k stadium was made by India, and the project is a failiure. Thing is there is an operation cost that is there when running such a stadium, and while you can boost about 45k people, still the gap is massive and it only adds to the running cost. And for visuals, it looks very ugly.

@MenInG bro if you could take note of his post where he is trying to divert topics towards Pakistani politics

Stadium fills up for the IPL and India matches. Thats what matters to us. You may not like it. But then it isn't built for you either.

I am showing you the mirror. Cope....

 

[Hitman]

Stadium fills up for the IPL and India matches. Thats what matters to us. You may not like it. But then it isn't built for you either.

I am showing you the mirror. Cope....

Exactly! It's purpose is to be a spectacle during matches involving India and the IPL.

 

[Major]

Stadium fills up for the IPL and India matches. Thats what matters to us. You may not like it. But then it isn't built for you either.

I am showing you the mirror. Cope....

this is not ipl, this is a world cup. maybe not host a tournament if you cant fill up the stadiums.

 

[cricketjoshila]

this is not ipl, this is a world cup. maybe not host a tournament if you cant fill up the stadiums.

Go tell the ICC that India should not host ICC tournaments. Please do.

If i were you, i would be worried about whether pakistan gets to host a ICC event or not. And not worry about India.

World Cup thats why 47k people turned up to watch the match.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Why would anyone expect such a huge capacity stadium to be filled to capacity unless India plays, or unless it's a World Cup final, or unless it's an IPL match?

Anyone with sense won't expect it be be filled to capacity in a random World Cup match not involving India.

They have to criticize India for the sake of it. So let them.

 

[U$ofA]

this is not ipl, this is a world cup. maybe not host a tournament if you cant fill up the stadiums.

How do you do that? Force people into the stadiums?

Clearly looks like people in India do not care much about WC. I am sure they will show up for Ind. matches. Remains to be seen though.

By the way, where is the ICC? Not heard anything from them about the ICC World Cup.

 

[IMMY69]

How do you do that? Force people into the stadiums?

Clearly looks like people in India do not care much about WC. I am sure they will show up for Ind. matches. Remains to be seen though.

By the way, where is the ICC? Not heard anything from them about the ICC World Cup.

This is not really about ICC or Pakistan, it's about the fans that watch the World Cup in the ground and on TV.

If India doesn't care about anything other then IPL or India playing then why host the tournament in the first place?

Fans want to be enthralled when watching a World Cup match... it is the pinnacle of cricket tournaments.
It's not good for the game to have large stadiums with zero atmosphere and this transcends to the viewers who watch it on TV including the kids who may take up the sport...

Not everything has to be about India, the BCCI and its super duper power status and wealth... that is an extremely selfish outlook.

I've already had friends here in England say how they're disappointed their World Cup winning team plays the previous finalists in a stadium that had absolutely zero atmosphere

 

[Rajdeep]

What a gorgeous stadium Dharmasala is...how magnanimous it looks. The atmosphere is also very good considering its a weekend.

After all BCCI bashing, hope posters will give credit where its due.

 

[Nado_]

For all those saying only Asian games had the crowds in other countries , well what do you have to say about this. England World Cup , Australia vs New Zealand, both countries do not have any locals in UK, but got to say that’s a very decent crowd no? But I thought white ball cricket no one watches outside Asia? Looks to be plenty of white faces in the crowd .

 

[U$ofA]

This is not really about ICC or Pakistan, it's about the fans that watch the World Cup in the ground and on TV.

If India doesn't care about anything other then IPL or India playing then why host the tournament in the first place?

Fans want to be enthralled when watching a World Cup match... it is the pinnacle of cricket tournaments.
It's not good for the game to have large stadiums with zero atmosphere and this transcends to the viewers who watch it on TV including the kids who may take up the sport...

Not everything has to be about India, the BCCI and its super duper power status and wealth... that is an extremely selfish outlook.

I've already had friends here in England say how they're disappointed their World Cup winning team plays the previous finalists in a stadium that had absolutely zero atmosphere

It is about the ICC. Do you think the ICC has learnt a thing or two from this? I would say, no. They will go right back and give more hosting rights to their tournaments to BCCI.

It is a case of, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Just watch, the ICC for some reason will keep doing the same thing (give BCCI hosting rights) and expect different results.

So unless the ICC stops this and gives rights to a different country, they will be the ones killing the enthusiasm.

 

[MenInG]

 

[IMMY69]

It is about the ICC. Do you think the ICC has learnt a thing or two from this? I would say, no. They will go right back and give more hosting rights to their tournaments to BCCI.

It is a case of, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Just watch, the ICC for some reason will keep doing the same thing (give BCCI hosting rights) and expect different results.

So unless the ICC stops this and gives rights to a different country, they will be the ones killing the enthusiasm.

My point is simple.

You start a tournament on the front foot. It sets the tone for the rest of the tournament.

This means you have an opening ceremony, and the first game on a weekend euth the host nation playing the first match to get the stadium full to the rafters.

If you have to open the tournament with with the previous finalists, then you still have it on a weekend, with an opening ceremony and play on a ground that has 30/40,000 capacity to ensure it is full.

 

[Technics 1210]

View attachment 137203

Looks like something out of the Grand National!

 

[captain.hansolo]

Once again matches are being reschduled as stadiums and cities claim they cant host back to back games or cant provide proper security.

This affects all the businesses related to hospitality and vendors that bought tenders for selling services.

BCCI even sold the tickets very late in to the year and there were no online sales.....

This is the first time BCCI is actually hosting the whole ICC ODI world Cup, and they have failed uptil now

dude the straws you clutch at lol.

 

[U$ofA]

My point is simple.

You start a tournament on the front foot. It sets the tone for the rest of the tournament.

This means you have an opening ceremony, and the first game on a weekend euth the host nation playing the first match to get the stadium full to the rafters.

If you have to open the tournament with with the previous finalists, then you still have it on a weekend, with an opening ceremony and play on a ground that has 30/40,000 capacity to ensure it is full.

I understand your point. It is correct. But when it doesn't happen, there should be consequences. The current host seems to have different priorities. Shouldn't the ICC take note of this? Make changes?

I don't think they will. There will be zero changes on how ICC does business. No lesson learnt. Same mistakes repeated. And this is what will continue to kill the enthusiasm.

 

[Bilal Ahmad15]

What a gorgeous stadium Dharmasala is...how magnanimous it looks. The atmosphere is also very good considering its a weekend.

After all BCCI bashing, hope posters will give credit where its due.

Honestly, almost all of the stadiums in India look amazing, but yes I briefly saw Dharmasala in yesterdays match and the background around the stadium makes it stand out

 

[nish_mate]

For all those saying only Asian games had the crowds in other countries , well what do you have to say about this. England World Cup , Australia vs New Zealand, both countries do not have any locals in UK, but got to say that’s a very decent crowd no? But I thought white ball cricket no one watches outside Asia? Looks to be plenty of white faces in the crowd .

What you on about? London's absolutely swarming with Ozzies & Kiwis- be it bartenders or financiers, even suburban Teddington pub in sleepy Richmond Upon Thames got Ozzie barkeeping contigents, leave alone Central London.....

 

[Major]

Just as the India match ended, the power went out and the stadium was in total darkness. Than during a press conference the NZ skipper sat in darkness again.

It is not happening almost everyday. It looks very bad for an international event, plus a security risk also exists as any lunatic can bypass security and run onto the pitch.

 

[Swashbuckler]

New Zealand skipper PC happened in darkness due to a power cut.

Today it didn't look like a power cut, whole stadium went dark except advertisement boardings, fireworks and then back to brightness. It was like some special effects, light show or something. I'll ask my colleagues who went to the match today, and confirm.

 

[Nado_]

What you on about? London's absolutely swarming with Ozzies & Kiwis- be it bartenders or financiers, even suburban Teddington pub in sleepy Richmond Upon Thames got Ozzie barkeeping contigents, leave alone Central London.....

Lol they probably make up less than 0.5% of the London population

 

[Mesozoic]

Kuch bhi matlab...


In Chennai, they deliberately cut off the lights for a light show in the stadium after the Indian win. It was a common feature in the IPL too..

If you want to wail , atleast wail with a valid excuse lmao

 

[Nado_]

Lol they probably make up less than 0.5% of the London population

Maybe even 0.05%

 

[nish_mate]

Lol they probably make up less than 0.5% of the London population

Your original statement was " England World Cup , Australia vs New Zealand, both countries do not have any locals in UK", now you are stating they form some part of London's population.. however miniscule.

Make up your mind mate.

PS as per a very quick google search (not sure if accurate) there are roughly 200-400k Aussies in the UK, and about 54k in London, so there is some presence and some would make their way to Cricket WC as well, not to mention those coming over to watch the cricket WC in England, much preferable to travel to England to watch cricket, see a bit a Europe and make a holiday of it, than travel to India in all due fairness.

Plus the fact that your average Anglo Saxon Brit has probably more affinity with an Aussie than an Indian or a Pakistani or a SL or Carribean, therefore your average cricket watching Brit is more likely to attend an OZ-NZ match than random non Eng match.

I would genuinely be interested to see how many turn up for Pakistan- Afg or Pakistan-SL or Pakistan-BD match in India, I am assuming more than a handful of brown faces will turn up.

 

[nosundries]

 

[Nado_]

Your original statement was " England World Cup , Australia vs New Zealand, both countries do not have any locals in UK", now you are stating they form some part of London's population.. however miniscule.

Make up your mind mate.

PS as per a very quick google search (not sure if accurate) there are roughly 200-400k Aussies in the UK, and about 54k in London, so there is some presence and some would make their way to Cricket WC as well, not to mention those coming over to watch the cricket WC in England, much preferable to travel to England to watch cricket, see a bit a Europe and make a holiday of it, than travel to India in all due fairness.

Plus the fact that your average Anglo Saxon Brit has probably more affinity with an Aussie than an Indian or a Pakistani or a SL or Carribean, therefore your average cricket watching Brit is more likely to attend an OZ-NZ match than random non Eng match.

I would genuinely be interested to see how many turn up for Pakistan- Afg or Pakistan-SL or Pakistan-BD match in India, I am assuming more than a handful of brown faces will turn up.

Thank you for spending the time to write this very informative post. I will not waste much more time with you but maybe think when someone says something they don’t mean it to be in the full literal sense. The purpose of the post was to show that England World Cup had decent crowds in , even for two teams playing where there is not really much of a local population (as opposed to Pakistanis and Indians)

 

[nish_mate]

Thank you for spending the time to write this very informative post. I will not waste much more time with you but maybe think when someone says something they don’t mean it to be in the full literal sense. The purpose of the post was to show that England World Cup had decent crowds in , even for two teams playing where there is not really much of a local population (as opposed to Pakistanis and Indians)

I did think mate, and the point you make is valid but chose wrong match to highlight it. Simply due to high incidence of immigrant populations from all cricketing nation, England stadias will always have a decent crowd for any non England matches, after all except for NL, rest of all cricket playing nations were ex colonies.

 

[Technics 1210]

What you on about? London's absolutely swarming with Ozzies & Kiwis- be it bartenders or financiers, even suburban Teddington pub in sleepy Richmond Upon Thames got Ozzie barkeeping contigents, leave alone Central London.....

You've been to Teddington?

 

[hassan918]

BCCI should be doing better than what they have done so far in hosting this World Cup. There were outfield issues, players doing press conference with mobile light, a reporter sent home etc.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Sniffer dogs on the pitch. Don’t think I’ve seen that before.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

A note of appreciation from Pakistan Cricket Team to the Hyderabad ground staff.

 

[BouncerGuy]

As per Media Reports:

Arrest and Investigation – Unraveling the India vs Pakistan Security Threat
The Crime Branch of the Ahmedabad Police apprehended the accused based on charges filed by the Rajkot Police in Gujarat. The individual, known for previous offenses in Vadodara, had employed the name of Lawrence Vishnoi in the ominous email. This development has prompted intensive investigations into the motives and potential accomplices behind the security threat looming over the India vs Pakistan match.

Security Measures Intensified for India vs Pakistan Showdown
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel chaired a high-level meeting to bolster security for the much-anticipated clash. Approximately 15,000 security personnel have been deployed to ensure the safety of the spectators, players, and dignitaries attending the India vs Pakistan match. The elaborate security arrangements aim to counteract any potential threats during this high-stakes encounter.

As the nation gears up for the India-Pakistan cricket extravaganza, the threatening email has added an element of uncertainty. The Mumbai Police had alerted their counterparts in Ahmedabad, urging caution and heightened security measures following the receipt of the ominous email.

 

[Bhaijaan]

A note of appreciation from Pakistan Cricket Team to the Hyderabad ground staff.

View attachment 137442

That’s beautiful to see .

Say whatever, Bharat has a love hate relationship with Pakistan like no other nation. Despite all the politics, once that initial awkwardness breaks, there is no people in the world we will ever love more than Pakistanis because in them we only see our former selves. They were formerly Bharatiyas and that’s a special bond they will always have with us.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Also, i know deep down some Pakistanis still consider Greater Bharat to be their actual motherland. It’s not generally admitted due to social pressures but one on one , many Pakistanis have often confessed to me that they consider Bharat their motherland. They may hate Hindus but they will never hate Bharat’s soil because they heir ancestors lived there.

 

[BouncerGuy]

India vs Pakistan: Ahmedabad police asked to ensure spectators don’t carry gutka into Narendra Modi stadium

The Ahmedabad Police have a serious task at hand during the India vs Pakistan World Cup game. Not only will they have to manage security and handle a large crowd, they have to even ensure that no fans bring ‘Gutka’ inside the Narendra Modi stadium.

The Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) had specially requested Ahmedabad Police to ensure that no fans marched in with the pan masala or gutka as it creates plenty of problems during the game.

The masala chokes the bathroom pipe and results in waterlogging in its basin. It also makes the environment dirty and to keep it clean, GCA had to spend money on removing the stains. The state government last year had banned gutka and pan masala containing nicotine but it still found its way into the market.

“It takes a lot of money and manpower to remove these masala stains. There have been instances where the sink pipe saw blockage, kyunki sab thook ke gaye. (Because people spat out the masala). We have requested police to ensure that no masala is allowed inside the stadium,” a GCA official said.

The Narendra Modi Stadium has a capacity of 1.30 lac and it is expected to be a packed house on Saturday.

IndianExpress

 

[RexRex]

The Times UK

Friday, October 20 2023

By Simon Wilde:-

A definitive verdict must wait for the end of the tournament, but India’s hosting of the Cricket World Cup is looking like an enormous missed opportunity. The greatest cricketing territory in the world could have used the sport’s biggest global tournament to showcase the country as one of the most advanced societies of the 21st century and a market leader in event organising.

In fact, it has appeared anything but. Many of us who have been coming here for more than 30 years think it feels like the same old, same old. What is delivered is delivered late (late schedule, late tickets, you name it), and as ever the little people — in this instance those who dare to come and watch a match in person rather than on television, which really is the only prism through which the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) can see the world — are treated with contempt.

The most alarming thing is that those who are running the tournament — the BCCI rather than the International Cricket Council, even though it is officially an ICC event — genuinely do not seem to care. Given that the BCCI has close links to the government here, and India is planning a bid to stage the 2036 Olympic Games, it really should be taking a broader view.

To make matters worse, as chance would have it, cricket is holding its oldest global event at the same time as rugby union is staging its World Cup. India may not care much about rugby, but several of the other leading cricketing nations do — among them, England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

So sports fans in those places have been offered a stark contrast on their TVs: the sold-out stadiums in France, full of multinational audiences passionately supporting their teams, versus the soulless swathes of empty seats in cavernous concrete bowls around India. Which one looks better; which sport looks healthier? The cricket grounds here are not without their qualities, but their most impressive characteristic is their size, which in the minds of the Ozymandiases who run the state associations is of course all that matters. But look closer and you cannot escape the dirty seats and lack of basic amenities, such as food and drink outlets, that might be regarded as unacceptable to a 1990s audience, let alone one in the 2020s.

It would not cost much to address these issues and, let’s be frank, the BCCI is the wealthiest cricket body in the world. It could easily make things better if it wanted to. It could also have released tickets earlier, or digitised the whole ticketing process, but holding on to tickets and distributing them as an instrument of patronage is the oldest trick in the Indian bureaucratic book.

The contrast in recent weeks between the Rugby World Cup and Cricket World Cup, with full stadiums and supporters from the world over at one and empty seats and mostly home supporters at the other, has been stark The contrast in recent weeks between the Rugby World Cup and Cricket World Cup, with full stadiums and supporters from the world over at one and empty seats and mostly home supporters at the other, has been stark

Of course, it would be a mistake to try to impose Western attitudes on subcontinental ways, but World Cups are only supposed to be awarded to those willing to meet certain criteria. It’s not just an issue of comfort, there’s also the safety aspect. A few days ago scaffolding and advertising fell off the top of a stand when high winds struck the stadium at Lucknow during the Australia-Sri Lanka match. Anecdotal evidence suggests the stadium in Guwahati that hosted England’s two warm-ups was not without its risks. Any tournament host should be willing to accept the citizens of a participating country. The hostility towards Pakistan fans and journalists has been well documented. At the last count about a dozen Pakistan journalists had finally been granted visas and allowed in; that figure is expected to rise, but for heaven’s sake we are entering the third week of the tournament.

Mickey Arthur’s comments after the India-Pakistan match in Ahmedabad, that it felt like a BCCI event rather than an ICC event, was a stinging rebuke of the shamefully lopsided nature of the experience. Has any sporting event watched by 100,000-plus people seen such a disparity in numbers between the supporters of one side and the other?

Less documented is the dearth of any foreign support at what should be a celebration of global cricketing excellence. The England team are now here in Mumbai, which is among the most attractive Indian cities to visit, yet their travelling support barely totals 200-250. ITC is one of three companies that has brought supporters, along with Gullivers and the Barmy Army. Gary Millis, its spokesman, has accompanied most England tours for the past eight years and says this has probably been the worst.

There is still time for the BCCI to improve experiences and attendances at the World Cup, after some fans have complained about their trips to the various Indian cricket grounds There is still time for the BCCI to improve experiences and attendances at the World Cup, after some fans have complained about their trips to the various Indian cricket grounds

“The organisation hasn’t been brilliant,” he said. “We weren’t given the locations until July, when February would have been better, and didn’t get the ticket prices until August. That’s had a major impact. We were already further down the line on sales for the Test matches in India early next year than we were with this World Cup, because the Test dates came out earlier.“We’ve got 26 people here and that will go down after this next ODI in Mumbai before coming back up again. “On the whole we’ve enjoyed the experience. The locals are really friendly. But the biggest let-down has been the grounds and not being allowed to take things in with us, except phones and wallets. We can’t take in phone chargers, water, food or suntan lotion, and many of the seats are not in the shade, so things like water and suntan lotion are important.

“They confiscate all sorts of items like sprays, sanitisers and gels. There’s a whole list of things you’re not allowed to take in. We were also told we could buy suntan lotion in the ground but couldn’t. “There wasn’t any bottled water available in Delhi and we didn’t feel we could trust the water they provided because we were unsure where it had come from. That was poor. At one of the venues we were asked to show our tickets six times after we entered the ground.“I’ve been on plenty of England tours and none have been as strict as this. It’s terribly frustrating. I think they need to get in line with the rest of the world.”

Millis says that his company will be taking many more supporters to the Caribbean for England’s white-ball tour in December: “We will have 200 in Barbados and 150 in Antigua. There are lots of friends we can call on among former West Indies players. We will have lots of functions, cricket matches and barbecues.” Little wonder the fans have made the choices they have.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cricket-world-cup-india-stadiums-attendance-kx58fwkwq

 

[RexRex]

^ Interesting read.

Is this the worst World Cup ever organised ?

 

[Kianig89]

Will have no effect on ICC, cricket is a subcontinent sport

 

[DeadlyVenom]

More Barmy Army went to see a boring test series in Pakistan than watch India in Mumbai.

 

[owenhcricket]

^ Interesting read.

Is this the worst World Cup ever organised ?

The Times UK

Friday, October 20 2023

By Simon Wilde:-

A definitive verdict must wait for the end of the tournament, but India’s hosting of the Cricket World Cup is looking like an enormous missed opportunity. The greatest cricketing territory in the world could have used the sport’s biggest global tournament to showcase the country as one of the most advanced societies of the 21st century and a market leader in event organising.

In fact, it has appeared anything but. Many of us who have been coming here for more than 30 years think it feels like the same old, same old. What is delivered is delivered late (late schedule, late tickets, you name it), and as ever the little people — in this instance those who dare to come and watch a match in person rather than on television, which really is the only prism through which the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) can see the world — are treated with contempt.

The most alarming thing is that those who are running the tournament — the BCCI rather than the International Cricket Council, even though it is officially an ICC event — genuinely do not seem to care. Given that the BCCI has close links to the government here, and India is planning a bid to stage the 2036 Olympic Games, it really should be taking a broader view.

To make matters worse, as chance would have it, cricket is holding its oldest global event at the same time as rugby union is staging its World Cup. India may not care much about rugby, but several of the other leading cricketing nations do — among them, England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

So sports fans in those places have been offered a stark contrast on their TVs: the sold-out stadiums in France, full of multinational audiences passionately supporting their teams, versus the soulless swathes of empty seats in cavernous concrete bowls around India. Which one looks better; which sport looks healthier? The cricket grounds here are not without their qualities, but their most impressive characteristic is their size, which in the minds of the Ozymandiases who run the state associations is of course all that matters. But look closer and you cannot escape the dirty seats and lack of basic amenities, such as food and drink outlets, that might be regarded as unacceptable to a 1990s audience, let alone one in the 2020s.

It would not cost much to address these issues and, let’s be frank, the BCCI is the wealthiest cricket body in the world. It could easily make things better if it wanted to. It could also have released tickets earlier, or digitised the whole ticketing process, but holding on to tickets and distributing them as an instrument of patronage is the oldest trick in the Indian bureaucratic book.

The contrast in recent weeks between the Rugby World Cup and Cricket World Cup, with full stadiums and supporters from the world over at one and empty seats and mostly home supporters at the other, has been stark The contrast in recent weeks between the Rugby World Cup and Cricket World Cup, with full stadiums and supporters from the world over at one and empty seats and mostly home supporters at the other, has been stark

Of course, it would be a mistake to try to impose Western attitudes on subcontinental ways, but World Cups are only supposed to be awarded to those willing to meet certain criteria. It’s not just an issue of comfort, there’s also the safety aspect. A few days ago scaffolding and advertising fell off the top of a stand when high winds struck the stadium at Lucknow during the Australia-Sri Lanka match. Anecdotal evidence suggests the stadium in Guwahati that hosted England’s two warm-ups was not without its risks. Any tournament host should be willing to accept the citizens of a participating country. The hostility towards Pakistan fans and journalists has been well documented. At the last count about a dozen Pakistan journalists had finally been granted visas and allowed in; that figure is expected to rise, but for heaven’s sake we are entering the third week of the tournament.

Mickey Arthur’s comments after the India-Pakistan match in Ahmedabad, that it felt like a BCCI event rather than an ICC event, was a stinging rebuke of the shamefully lopsided nature of the experience. Has any sporting event watched by 100,000-plus people seen such a disparity in numbers between the supporters of one side and the other?

Less documented is the dearth of any foreign support at what should be a celebration of global cricketing excellence. The England team are now here in Mumbai, which is among the most attractive Indian cities to visit, yet their travelling support barely totals 200-250. ITC is one of three companies that has brought supporters, along with Gullivers and the Barmy Army. Gary Millis, its spokesman, has accompanied most England tours for the past eight years and says this has probably been the worst.

There is still time for the BCCI to improve experiences and attendances at the World Cup, after some fans have complained about their trips to the various Indian cricket grounds There is still time for the BCCI to improve experiences and attendances at the World Cup, after some fans have complained about their trips to the various Indian cricket grounds

“The organisation hasn’t been brilliant,” he said. “We weren’t given the locations until July, when February would have been better, and didn’t get the ticket prices until August. That’s had a major impact. We were already further down the line on sales for the Test matches in India early next year than we were with this World Cup, because the Test dates came out earlier.“We’ve got 26 people here and that will go down after this next ODI in Mumbai before coming back up again. “On the whole we’ve enjoyed the experience. The locals are really friendly. But the biggest let-down has been the grounds and not being allowed to take things in with us, except phones and wallets. We can’t take in phone chargers, water, food or suntan lotion, and many of the seats are not in the shade, so things like water and suntan lotion are important.

“They confiscate all sorts of items like sprays, sanitisers and gels. There’s a whole list of things you’re not allowed to take in. We were also told we could buy suntan lotion in the ground but couldn’t. “There wasn’t any bottled water available in Delhi and we didn’t feel we could trust the water they provided because we were unsure where it had come from. That was poor. At one of the venues we were asked to show our tickets six times after we entered the ground.“I’ve been on plenty of England tours and none have been as strict as this. It’s terribly frustrating. I think they need to get in line with the rest of the world.”

Millis says that his company will be taking many more supporters to the Caribbean for England’s white-ball tour in December: “We will have 200 in Barbados and 150 in Antigua. There are lots of friends we can call on among former West Indies players. We will have lots of functions, cricket matches and barbecues.” Little wonder the fans have made the choices they have.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cricket-world-cup-india-stadiums-attendance-kx58fwkwq

Wow...wow what a read!

I'm surprised there is such honesty in the press considering the broadcasters have been nothing but BCCI shills...not for the first time of course, Nasser and Athers for example may well be BCCI employees at this stage LOL

Let's summarise some of the negatives, which is basically everything at this point in time:

- Tickets were released far too late.
- Lack of digital tickets...in 2023.
- Inhospitable grounds without basic amenities which were likely present in Kenya in 1996.
- No water availability.
- Lack of interest from international fans due to above issues.
- Lack of safety for both cricketers AND fans...can you imagine if this was in Pakistan, PP would be going mad if construction fell from a stadium.

Just on personally watching this world cup, I've seen a stadium with a portion of the roof which still needs ALOT of work and then at Hyderabad they had to show a manual scoreboard which probably hasn't been seen since 1899.

Certainly the worst organised and corrupt world cup since 2007 if not ever.

 

[Chip32]

Attendances have been better the last few neutral games which is good to see.

Players being scared to dive because of how poor the grounds are is a terrible look though.

Other than that I don’t think it’s been too bad. Worse than the 15 and 19 editions for sure though.

 

[Major]

this is why i say, indians here do alot of bhangra over bcci making money, but little gets spent on them. The fans are treated like dogs, and yet we see them being excited and defending their board.

Even on this thread, you will see them defending the poor ticketing and service at ground.

And they deserve it

 

[Hitman]

Anything more to whine about? The effort Pakistani fans have put into trying to make this WC a failure, and embarrass the BCCI is hilarious.

Now what do you have to say regarding your team's performance?

 

[TM Riddle]

Anything more to whine about? The effort Pakistani fans have put into trying to make this WC a failure, and embarrass the BCCI is hilarious.

Now what do you have to say regarding your team's performance?

What has Pak team's failure got to do with BCCI's abysmal handling of the tournament, substandard facilities and jugaadu chalta-hai-attitude of the organisers?
One would think that having the richest cricket board in the world would bring a few advantages at least.
And it isn't just limited to the service alone. The other day fireworks erupted in the dharmashala stadium after India's win against NZ in one of more shameful display of blatant partisanship.

Whether it be Irfan Pathan shamelessly trolling, forgetting that as a commentator he needs to at least have the decency to project himself as unbiased, or mismanagement when it comes to releasing tickets, it's been shambolic so far.

I guess the only saving grace has been the exciting matches and decent competition between the ball and bat.
We are only halfway through the tournament and BCCI still has sufficient time to make things right.

 

[Devadwal]

Pakistan fan's and Media doing all the hard works to ruin this world cup but nothing will happen.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

Pakistan fan's and Media doing all the hard works to ruin this world cup but nothing will happen.

Dont think Pak media and fans are thinking about ruining this WC right now.

They are trying to find new mathematical calculations to stay alive in it.

 

[Aham Brahmasmi]

this is why i say, indians here do alot of bhangra over bcci making money, but little gets spent on them. The fans are treated like dogs, and yet we see them being excited and defending their board.

Even on this thread, you will see them defending the poor ticketing and service at ground.

And they deserve it

Hi I was at a match involving Pakistan and the ticket service and in ground service was excellent. Even the payments for snacks for digital , not needed to carry cash. They had everything from fries, pizza to Biryani at the ground.

 

[Mamoon]

Biggest problem with this World Cup is Pakistan’s presence.

The quality of cricket would have been so much better had Pakistan decided to respect itself and stay home.

 

[Mamoon]

And England?

They have great players especially in the batting department who have played very poorly but they can flick a switch at any moment.

Pakistan is a hopeless case.

 

[cricketjoshila]

^ Interesting read.

Is this the worst World Cup ever organised ?

Totally agree with the tickets thing. BCCI did a horrendous job with ticketing.But rest everything is mostly crap.

You get water pouches of mineral water in every stadium. They don't allow water in bottles. This has been the case since 1999.

Pakistan and India have hostile relations and there are security issues that have to be considered before granting visas to pakistanis. Its none of ICC or BCCI's business.

A storm hit Lucknow and a banner was dislodged. Yes BCCI can do a better job with this.

But the barmy army spokesman saying things are too strict and BCCI should fall in line with RoW. Well he is not the person in-charge of security.

 

[RexRex]

I'm hearing horrible stories of people booking tickets online and then having to physically collect them miles away from the stadium. What ?

 

[cricketjoshila]

water pouches...wow lol

Yes they are sealed pouches. Just like sealed water bottles since bottles are not allowed inside the stadium.

 

[cricketjoshila]

I'm hearing horrible stories of people booking tickets online and then having to physically collect them miles away from the stadium. What ?

What is horrible in this?

You get the counter address before hand and collect tickets from there.

You can argue about digital tickets not being used but even in IPL one has to collect physical tickets from designated city counters.

 

[Major]

Totally agree with the tickets thing. BCCI did a horrendous job with ticketing.But rest everything is mostly crap.

You get water pouches of mineral water in every stadium. They don't allow water in bottles. This has been the case since 1999.

Pakistan and India have hostile relations and there are security issues that have to be considered before granting visas to pakistanis. Its none of ICC or BCCI's business.

A storm hit Lucknow and a banner was dislodged. Yes BCCI can do a better job with this.

But the barmy army spokesman saying things are too strict and BCCI should fall in line with RoW. Well he is not the person in-charge of security.

how can you defend water pouches?

Bro we had same issue in Pakistan where they dont give bottle water or drinks and they give in cups. And i had to go stand in line just to get a small 200ml cup of water every time i was thirsty.

This is pathetic and you shouldnt be defending such things.
If you see your country amongst the top countries than in first world countries you dont get treated like this.

 

[cricketjoshila]

and you defend this?

Bottles are not allowed..So the same water bottling companies pack water in edible grade plastic pouches and sell them with straws to drink from.

This has been the case since 1999.

There's nothing wrong in it.

 

[cricketjoshila]

how can you defend water pouches?

Bro we had same issue in Pakistan where they dont give bottle water or drinks and they give in cups. And i had to go stand in line just to get a small 200ml cup of water every time i was thirsty.

This is pathetic and you shouldnt be defending such things.
If you see your country amongst the top countries than in first world countries you dont get treated like this.

If milk pouches are fine why water cannot be packed in the same pouches and sold by branded companies?

Far better than standing in queue to get a glass.

 

[Major]

Bottles are not allowed..So the same water bottling companies pack water in edible grade plastic pouches and sell them with straws to drink from.

This has been the case since 1999.

There's nothing wrong in it.

Can you carry a pouch with you? Can you place the pouch under the chair or in your purse and takes sips when you want to?
Atleast stop defending the BCCI for the benefit for your own sake. You get treated like crap yet you are defending BCCI for such things?

 

[Major]

If milk pouches are fine why water cannot be packed in the same pouches and sold by branded companies?

Far better than standing in queue to get a glass.

bro milk poches are not something you consumer as you walk or sit outside. Milk pouches are stored at home.

WHen you are sitting in stadium, you need to have sometthing that sits and be consumed easily

 

[deltexas]

FWIW , BCCI treats fans as 3rd class citizens. Its a torture watching games in Ind cricket stadiums. We dont need to defend BCCI as they dont care about the fans who drive crickets revenue. Just watch games in Eng or Aus and there is no comparison. Ind games in Eng are frequently sold out .

 

[Major]

If people throw water bottles than the simple solution is charge heavy fine. This is something that works well. And with cameras on ground the people involved can easily be spotted and caught.


Maybe at start you will have a batameez crowd but the behavior corrects with heavy fines

 

[cricketjoshila]

Can you carry a pouch with you? Can you place the pouch under the chair or in your purse and takes sips when you want to?
Atleast stop defending the BCCI for the benefit for your own sake. You get treated like crap yet you are defending BCCI for such things?

Yes we buy 4-5 pouches and carry them to our seats. Whenever required open a pouch put the straw in and take sips.

Some shops now sell sealed plastic glasses as well. They cost a bit more.

Fans has been using this for nearly 25 years in Indian stadiums.

 

[deltexas]

Anything more to whine about? The effort Pakistani fans have put into trying to make this WC a failure, and embarrass the BCCI is hilarious.

Now what do you have to say regarding your team's performance?

Bro - no need to defend BCCI here when they treat us fans like crap.. We are in the 21st century .. Ticketing fiasco , tickets to be collected 10 miles from the stadium, no roofs in stadium in the insane sun, water pouches, dirty seats & dirty stinking toilets, long lines, horrible food , list goes on and on and on.. Why should you not highlight these issues? It;s got nothing to do with Ind , its BCCI's incompetence and care not attitude.

 

[Major]

Yes we buy 4-5 pouches and carry them to our seats. Whenever required open a pouch put the straw in and take sips.

Some shops now sell sealed plastic glasses as well. They cost a bit more.

Fans has been using this for nearly 25 years in Indian stadiums.

what about soft drinks, juice?

in a developed country, this is now how fans get treated as they are able to enjoy their lunch with their drinks.

As i said, you get treated like crap by BCCI, doesnt mean you defend it.

 

[RWAC]

what about soft drinks, juice?

in a developed country, this is now how fans get treated as they are able to enjoy their lunch with their drinks.

As i said, you get treated like crap by BCCI, doesnt mean you defend it.

I bought food and beverages inside the Narendra Modi stadium for the Ind-Pak game.

 

[deltexas]

A few copy paste reviews from Ind fans attending stadiums . Their experience not mine. But just goes to show the callous attitude of BCCI towards us fans..

1.Delhi A Jaitley stadium
I wonder if all Indian stadiums are like this or only a few like this.
1)At the entry , people were literally being run over ,i was constantly hearing people say “I am not able to breathe “ , children were crying and getting hurt .
2) Nothing was allowed inside the stadium except a wallet and phone . No car keys , purse nothing , and they told this to us after we waited in line for 15 mins .Women can't have a purse ,no hygiene support for women
3)No allotted seats are always a problem , people were hoarding seats at front , but i guess its fine because everyone was paying the same price and it was on first come first serve basis .
4) The worst thing was there was no freakin water . We literally watched the whole 4 hours match without water as it was being sold out in minutes . It became available properly at last 30 minutes of the match . Also paid 100rs for a 20rs bottle .( Indian cricketers did a nice gesture by giving some water to the fans from the dugout)
Even the police were complaining about bad management
And India losing didn’t help much
But overall a great game of cricket and enjoyed a good t20 wicket !

2. Chinnaswamy Bengaluru
This almost mirrors my experience at chinnaswamy for an ipl game in 2014. Poor crowd management, **** poor facilities, food choices were just bisi bele bath, and they didn’t allow a baby bag for a 1 year old. We couldn’t change the diapers if it came to that. Then I had the opportunity to watch the 2015 Wc semi game at Eden park in Auckland. That was truly eye opening.

Indian fans truly are taken for granted.

3.
The fans visit the stadiums despite the shoddy arrangments by the BCCI/State boards. Administrators come and go but, the poor facilities for the fans remain constant. And why would they change? The big names, board presidents and secretaries get vvip treatment and since the big money comes from the Tv rights, why bother about the fans?

I have experienced the same problem, the water ran out in my stand and I had to spend the next 30 mins running around looking for water. I thought, perhaps things would have changed post covid, alas!

4.
My experience from Mohali and Bengaluru -

1. You just can't avoid long queues, Mohali in and around the stadium has space so traffic is ok, Bangalore you better be there at least 4 hours before.
2. There was a time when even coins were not allowed , logic - fans may throw coins that may hurt players.
3. Food and water bottles are overpriced, plus you need to be physically strong to sneak into unmanaged queues. For ladies, even more difficult.
4. Most urinals stink, if not all.
5. Seats are getting better now, earlier it was concrete benches.
6. The viewing experience is good in both Bengaluru and Mohali, tad better in Mohali, weather wise Bengaluru is good.
7. If I'm a real cricket fanatic, better to watch a test match, no rush , no crowd can easily choose the best seat in the house.
8. I can go either for T20 or tests, saw an odi once , way too boring actually.
9. Another thing is , in test matches you can enter and exit anytime you want, not with limited overs game. Getting in and out is both difficult.
10. If not coming with own vehicle, getting cabs after match can be challenging in Mohali. In Bangalore, stadium is within city next to metro station, bus stands so it's ok.
11. Better to eat properly before going to stadium, keep yourself dehydrated there with fluids, solid food isn't great inside stadium.

 

[cricketjoshila]

what about soft drinks, juice?

in a developed country, this is now how fans get treated as they are able to enjoy their lunch with their drinks.

As i said, you get treated like crap by BCCI, doesnt mean you defend it.

Soft drinks Juice Pizza Biryani sandwiches everything is available inside the stadium.

Juices in tetra packs.

Soft drinks in biodegradable glasses.

You have never been to an Indian Stadium probably never will. But most big stadiums have all these facilities available.

 

[Major]

Soft drinks Juice Pizza Biryani sandwiches everything is available inside the stadium.

Juices in tetra packs.

Soft drinks in biodegradable glasses.

You have never been to an Indian Stadium probably never will. But most big stadiums have all these facilities available.

you cant have bottled water and you are defending bcci.

enjoy your juice boxes like a 12 year old

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

you cant have bottled water and you are defending bcci.

enjoy your juice boxes like a 12 year old

I can only talk about the stadium in Delhi since I went to watch a match there recently.

Ice cream, Pizza, Rajma Chawal, Chole Chawal, Chole Bhature, Pao Bhaji, Briyani, Cold Drinks and some other snacks are available in Arun Jaitely Stadium, Delhi. I tried two three items and found their quality to be pretty poor especially of Chole Bhature. Getting into the stadium was easy. Toilets were neat and clean. They were providing drinking water for free. Overall the atmosphere in the Delhi stadium was great and enjoyable.

 

[Mockingbird]

Can you carry a pouch with you? Can you place the pouch under the chair or in your purse and takes sips when you want to?
Atleast stop defending the BCCI for the benefit for your own sake. You get treated like crap yet you are defending BCCI for such things?

Don’t know where you live- but in many concert venues and NFL, Basketball etc stadiums in America , you aren’t allowed to carry any kinda purses or bags let alone any kinda drinks or food. All you are allowed is a quart size transparent pouch which can hold your essentials. So this kinda security requirements is not uncommon.

People like you will be the first in line shouting from rooftops in case of a security lapse with such a big crowd. You can’t have it both ways!

 

[Major]

Don’t know where you live- but in many concert venues and NFL, Basketball etc stadiums in America , you aren’t allowed to carry any kinda purses or bags let alone any kinda drinks or food. All you are allowed is a quart size transparent pouch which can hold your essentials. So this kinda security requirements is not uncommon.

People like you will be the first in line shouting from rooftops in case of a security lapse with such a big crowd. You can’t have it both ways!

I never said carried in food, you can buy foods and drinks inside the stadium. This includes bottler or 500+ ml drink cups insdie he stadium. Been to sports grounds in NA.

Anyways, not surprised, BCCI will treat its fans like garbage and those fans will still defend BCCI. they deserve such treatment. drink water from pouches and suck on kiddy juice boxes

 

[cricketjoshila]

you cant have bottled water and you are defending bcci.

enjoy your juice boxes like a 12 year old

What is important is the quality of water. How does it matter if its in Pouches or bottles?

 

[deltexas]

I can only talk about the stadium in Delhi since I went to watch a match there recently.

Ice cream, Pizza, Rajma Chawal, Chole Chawal, Chole Bhature, Pao Bhaji, Briyani, Cold Drinks and some other snacks are available in Arun Jaitely Stadium, Delhi. I tried two three items and found their quality to be pretty poor especially of Chole Bhature. Getting into the stadium was easy. Toilets were neat and clean. They were providing drinking water for free. Overall the atmosphere in the Delhi stadium was great and enjoyable.

Good to know your experience.. Was this an IPL game or India game ? Unless the fans put pressure on BCCI or the association babus - they will not fix anything..

 

[Aham Brahmasmi]

I'm hearing horrible stories of people booking tickets online and then having to physically collect them miles away from the stadium. What ?

No got tickets to home in post

 

[kumjsr]

Totally agree with the tickets thing. BCCI did a horrendous job with ticketing.But rest everything is mostly crap.

You get water pouches of mineral water in every stadium. They don't allow water in bottles. This has been the case since 1999.

Pakistan and India have hostile relations and there are security issues that have to be considered before granting visas to pakistanis. Its none of ICC or BCCI's business.

A storm hit Lucknow and a banner was dislodged. Yes BCCI can do a better job with this.

But the barmy army spokesman saying things are too strict and BCCI should fall in line with RoW. Well he is not the person in-charge of security.

Ticket sales is responsibility of ICC.

“We aren’t the ticket sales authority. Even we are in a fix over the availability of tickets for the match. It’s purely the responsibility of the International Cricket Council, and we are just supporting them,” UPCA secretary Arvind Srivastava said on Friday.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Good to know your experience.. Was this an IPL game or India game ? Unless the fans put pressure on BCCI or the association babus - they will not fix anything..

England vs Afghanistan match.

 

[PassionForPak]

For Pakistan, BCCI is a failed board and India is a failed country any given day regardless of one's own situation.
Reasons lay beyond cricket and more into historical mutual hatred.

So asking such questions here is foolish.