Having watched Sri Lanka play in multiple World Cups (both formats) in six countries over the past 15 years, I regret that the worst facilities for fans are in the ongoing edition in Sri Lanka. I’m in my mid 60s and over many decades have watched our team play in every international cricket venue in Sri Lanka and several abroad. Even in developing countries such as in the Caribbean and Bangladesh, where I saw us triumph in 2014, there seems to be more concern for ordinary spectators and their basic expectations.
On this occasion, I travelled from the other side of the world and had to plan ahead. In the past editions, I recall tickets going on sale well ahead, but on this occasion, only a couple of months for some games and a couple of weeks for others. Even then, only low priced categories were released initially and I snapped them up, only to find better seats released a few days later. When I tried to buy those, I was told by the system that the maximum ticket quota is exceeded. I had to ask a friend to buy the tickets for me and transfer, hence paying multiple times for the same game. Why can’t all tickets be made available transparently to all fans at one time and sold to the 1st comers? Is there some racket in sending tickets “underground” initially to be resold at higher prices or given away free to cronies? I am tempted to believe this as in smaller grounds like P Sara and Galle, I have found in past bilateral tours such as vs England, where tickets are in high demand, the better tickets are never offered for public sale. But at the venue, I find many empty good seats. I understand that hundreds of tickets are given away as compliments to past cricketers families and friends and families of SLC big wigs, who routinely never turn up, depriving the opportunity to fans who are ready to pay for those same seats.
The most agonising part is entering and leaving the grounds which at both Premadasa and Pallekele this year was an absolute nightmare, with high possibilities of stampedes causing serious injuries or worse. Is the ICC not concerned – at least for the sake of avoiding legal liabilities? In past decades I remember long metal barricaded pathways set up a little away from the gates to force fans to queue up for body search, etc. This ensures more orderly entry as Sri Lankans are notorious for queue-jumping. Instead this time round it was a free-for-all for. The next shock is upon entry; there are clearly more people in each stand than the available seats. If you don’t arrive early and grab a seat, you end up standing in the aisles or stairs with an obstructed view and crushed on all sides. I saw some elderly foreign fans walk off half way in disgust. There was a time when in most stands at the R. Premadasa Stadium, a ticket guaranteed a seat. Now, it is not so even in the highest priced Grandstand. Seat numbers have been obliterated. With all the financial stability of the SLC that they claim in media, can’t they afford to repaint the seat numbers and set up some physical queuing pathways? Or is it that they are simply unconcerned about the suffering of ordinary fans? Or do they prefer free seating so that it’s easier to admit favoured individuals free of charge? At a world cup in New Zealand, I observed they had engaged many volunteers, young and old to act as guides/ ushers in and around the stadium. This is a common practice even in Olympics. Apart from trips for multiple board members, their families and other companions, can’t SLC spend a little to send some operational level staff to study and apply the best practices of other member countries to improve things at our local facilities? Moving onto toilets, without exaggeration, Pallekelle had 3 inches of filthy water (maybe urine) on the men’s toilet floor to wade through. In Sri Lanka, it is essential to have the constant presence of several janitors to ensure clean toilets. There wasn’t even one in sight. At the previous edition of this tournament in St. Lucia, West Indies, a small island where Sri Lanka played, I found impeccably clean toilets at the Gros Islet grounds.
Food and beverages is the next bone of contention. Quality and range offered was pathetic compared to the past in Sri Lanka and certainly compared to world cup venues elsewhere. Only plain instant noodle, hot dogs and some Chinese Rolls were generally available and some of the vendor stalls were unbranded, causing doubt in the minds of about the origin and quality of the offerings. Beer was the next scam, at Premadasa only Corona R. 2000 per cup and Budweiser Rs, 1500 were on offer, both unknown brands to most Sri Lankans. Budweiser also ran out early in the match, leaving a Hobson’s choice for fans. Apparently, this was a global sponsorship deal, but strangely at Pallekele, there was a small, unbranded shed in a corner selling Beer (presumably local) at Rs. 500. Was this something underhand? SLC Office bearers boast of their good relationships and having influence at the top levels within ICC. They also sit on their Boards and committees. Can’t they influence better deals on offerings and prices appropriate to local crowds? Finally, at the end of many hours of suffering, we come to the chaotic exit with everybody pouring out into narrow highly populated streets around the Premadasa stadium. With all the millions they are reportedly raking in, can’t SLC attempt to collaborate with the local authorities and acquire some of the surrounding lands, offering the residents attractive deals. Sri Lanka already has a very high number of stadia per capita. Building more and more may be lucrative for some, but investing in improving say three select existing venues to international standards in different parts of the country is the need of the hour. Once I took a flight via Mattala to watch Sri Lanka play at the Sooriyawewa stadium. Built in the middle of nowhere, with no surrounding infrastructure, it fell into total neglect just a few years after it was opened. When thousands of spectators attempt to find their way home at once, it can be anticipated that all modes of public transport including Uber and Pickme get overwhelmed. I had to walk about three kilometres and try repeatedly for almost one hour to secure a ride. After watching Sri Lanka play a world cup match at Sydney Cricket Ground, (capacity 50,000) we were able to calmly walk about 15 minutes to a long line of parked busses which took us painlessly to different points of the city. At the Oval, London, three underground tube stations are within 15 m walking distance and extra trains are deployed to handle the load after matches. Are SLC officers too busy to engage in some discussion with Public and Private sector transportation providers to make some special arrangement for the weary cricket fans?
I bought tickets to watch Sri Lanka play Pakistan in their final game in this tournament, but decided that the hardship and risks of bodily injury to be endured to support our team was not worthwhile at my age. Since that triumphant day in Dhaka in 2014, not only the standard of our Cricket but the facilities and basic comforts expected by ordinary fans have sadly declined drastically.
Sujiva Dewaraja
sujiva.dewaraja@gmail.com
