MUMBAI: The One-day Cricket World Cup has begun, and people are asking where the crowds of spectators are?
Many people are wondering if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has failed to bring spectators to the stadium.
The first match, played on Thursday between England, the winners of the last World Cup, and runner-up New Zealand’s cricket teams, took place at India’s largest stadium, but instead of a crowd, empty seats were mostly visible.
A similar situation occurred on Friday evening during the match between Pakistan and the Netherlands in Hyderabad, where most seats were empty.
Jignesh Mevani, an MLA from Gujarat, referred to the empty stadium during the first World Cup match in Ahmedabad on Thursday as a “fiasco” and criticized the lack of transparency in BCCI’s ticketing process.
He wrote, “When ticket sales began on ‘Book My Show’ (an online platform), all tickets were sold out within a few minutes. So, why did so few people make it to the match?”
Reports had claimed that “to celebrate the approval of the Women Reservation Bill,” the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had provided 40,000 free tickets to women. Mevani questioned, “Where did these extra tickets for women come from when ticket sales had ended in the first week of September?”
An MP from the Congress party also questioned if “BCCI could give tickets to any political party in this manner?”
Mevani posted a video and two images of the empty stadium on Twitter, saying, “It is evident that a nexus is operating that has kept cricket enthusiasts in the dark for a long time. There is no transparency in the ticketing process, which has disappointed countless fans.”
However, many cricketers and fans have also pointed out the empty stadiums.
Former Indian cricketer and commentator Irfan Pathan tweeted, “Those who are crying about empty stadiums are disappointed, they are deprived. So, they are making futile tweets. The World Cup is happening in India, in one of the best stadiums in the world. Enjoy the moment and let them cry.”
Meanwhile, former Indian opener Virender Sehwag said that ” Provide free tickets to school students for matches in which India is not playing.”
Some also believe that since October 5 was a weekday (a One Day International match), fewer people were able to attend, which contributed to the lower turnout. There are also those who suggest that if the match had been played in Mumbai instead of Ahmedabad, the situation would have been different.
Many social media users are also targeting BCCI Secretary Jay Shah for the poor organization.
Senior journalist Purnima Malhotra wrote, “The Cricket World Cup has started, the stadium is empty. This could have been tolerated anywhere, in Pakistan, England, or Australia, but not in India.”
According to an AFP report, Pakistani fan “Chacha Cricket,” Muhammad Bashir, who came to watch the World Cup from the United States, said that he was the only Pakistani fan in the entire stadium. Despite that, he said, “My enthusiasm and voice are equal to a hundred and fifty people.”
In-stadium or outside, people taking selfies with him are also visible.
Even Pakistani fans are questioning the management of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
One user wrote on Twitter, “It’s disappointing to see so few spectators in Ahmedabad during the World Cup on October 5.”
The Pakistani sports channel Raftaar Sports made a humorous video, saying, “This is the World Cup, and it’s taking place in India, where there are the most cricket fans. The first match was played in the world’s largest stadium. But the number of spectators was very low. This could be tolerated anywhere, in Pakistan, England, or Australia. But in India?”
