Mumbai: The availability of only 4,000 tickets through online and window sale for the 2011 World Cup final has irked cricket lovers, who feel given the small capacity of the Wankhede stadium, the match could have been hosted at another bigger stadium.
"It is very unfair for a cricket enthusiast. They should have taken some measures to ensure that many more tickets were available to the common public," said Ranjan Joshi (52), a businessman.
"If they knew that the number of seats were going to be an issue, they should have thought of a bigger venue like the D Y Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai which has got a bigger capacity," he added.
Joshi further said it was strange that not a single match involving India was being held in Mumbai, considered the "cricket capital of the country".
"If India fails to make it to the final, they will not have played a single match in Mumbai," he added.
Echoing his sentiments, Bharat Singh, a media professional and cricket aficionado, said, "I am very much disappointed. Vis-a-vis most other stadia, Wankhede holds less sitting capacity. The ICC could have organised the final at some other place like D Y Patil Stadium, which is considered the best cricket facility in the country and has bigger capacity."
Addressing mediapersons yesterday, tournament director and Mumbai Cricket Association treasurer Prof Ratnakar Shetty said that only about 4,000 tickets for the final would be available for direct sale as over 28,000 tickets of the 32,000 capacity stadium were reserved due to various "contractual obligations".
While about 8,500 tickets have been handed over to the ICC, nearly 20,000 tickets have to be distributed amongst the Garware Club House and various clubs and gymkhanas affiliated with the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) due to contractual obligations, he added.
Abdullah Siddique, an employee with a private firm said, "It seems the World Cup is being played for the members of the elitist ICC and the various governing body members who control the associations and stadiums. Why make a mockery of the general public, by staging the match in Mumbai, if you don`t want to allow the general Mumbai public into the stadium."
Jayshree Gadkar, a TY B Com student too expressed her disappointment.
"It is disappointing. It was a rare opportunity for cricket buffs to watch a big event like the World Cup live, but we are now being deprived of this great opportunity."
Ticket-sales for the semi-finals, in Colombo and Mohali on 29 and 30 March respectively, and the April 2 final at the Wankhede, began on-line today via the ICC`s official ticketing partner.
"From the outset it was always going to be near impossible to satisfy the enormous demand for tickets. But the Central Organising Committee always wanted to provide as many cricket lovers as possible with an opportunity to experience the World Cup. That is why some tickets are now being made available online," the ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said in a media release issued today.
"It is very unfair for a cricket enthusiast. They should have taken some measures to ensure that many more tickets were available to the common public," said Ranjan Joshi (52), a businessman.
"If they knew that the number of seats were going to be an issue, they should have thought of a bigger venue like the D Y Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai which has got a bigger capacity," he added.
Joshi further said it was strange that not a single match involving India was being held in Mumbai, considered the "cricket capital of the country".
"If India fails to make it to the final, they will not have played a single match in Mumbai," he added.
Echoing his sentiments, Bharat Singh, a media professional and cricket aficionado, said, "I am very much disappointed. Vis-a-vis most other stadia, Wankhede holds less sitting capacity. The ICC could have organised the final at some other place like D Y Patil Stadium, which is considered the best cricket facility in the country and has bigger capacity."
Addressing mediapersons yesterday, tournament director and Mumbai Cricket Association treasurer Prof Ratnakar Shetty said that only about 4,000 tickets for the final would be available for direct sale as over 28,000 tickets of the 32,000 capacity stadium were reserved due to various "contractual obligations".
While about 8,500 tickets have been handed over to the ICC, nearly 20,000 tickets have to be distributed amongst the Garware Club House and various clubs and gymkhanas affiliated with the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) due to contractual obligations, he added.
Abdullah Siddique, an employee with a private firm said, "It seems the World Cup is being played for the members of the elitist ICC and the various governing body members who control the associations and stadiums. Why make a mockery of the general public, by staging the match in Mumbai, if you don`t want to allow the general Mumbai public into the stadium."
Jayshree Gadkar, a TY B Com student too expressed her disappointment.
"It is disappointing. It was a rare opportunity for cricket buffs to watch a big event like the World Cup live, but we are now being deprived of this great opportunity."
Ticket-sales for the semi-finals, in Colombo and Mohali on 29 and 30 March respectively, and the April 2 final at the Wankhede, began on-line today via the ICC`s official ticketing partner.
"From the outset it was always going to be near impossible to satisfy the enormous demand for tickets. But the Central Organising Committee always wanted to provide as many cricket lovers as possible with an opportunity to experience the World Cup. That is why some tickets are now being made available online," the ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said in a media release issued today.
