One of the most glaring aspects of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, apart from the ICC turning a blind eye to the associate nations, is the fact that the empty stands that greeted the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 once more are already drawing concerns across the cricket world. But can not the tournament organizers change their scenario quickly?
It seems unusual to believe that there are no takers for cricket, even if it does not involve India, in India given that the country has shown a generosity towards the sport unlike no other. In that situation, it would be hard to imagine packed stadiums for a match not involving India or involving a lower ranked team but not as sparse as been on witness thus far.
One of the explanations for the lack of people in the stadium is being offered as there not being Indian cricketers, which is a reasonable enough reason. However, the case where people would not come to the stadium to see at least one of the top teams, such as Australia in their match against Zimbabwe, seems almost unbelievable.
It is also understandable that the World Cup coincides with the fact that the school going enthusiasts and students will be preparing for their exams and therefore, will not be able to give the World Cup its due attention, let alone throng the stadiums. Whether there are enough schools and school children that the organizers have looked at is questionable because it is the impressionable young ones who will really appreciate the situation.
The one good thing to come out of the World Cup tickets websites crash was the fact that it was established what was only rumoured before: that the tickets in the stadiums are not only reserved for corporates and officials, who have failed to then utilize them, but also, that the tickets are so heavily priced ( upwards of Rs.2500 for one of the minnow teams ) that it is understandable why people do not want to spend so much on a match whose result they can pretty much predict.
The organizers have perhaps missed a trick here, because if they can cut down their losses of empty stadiums by pricing the tickets low and breaking even, they could have not only recovered costs but also, spared themselves and the sport the ignominy of depicting empty cricket stadiums for something as prestigious as the ICC Cricket World Cup.
To blame the associate nations alone for the debacle of the tournament or the format seems very harsh when the game is being sold in the manner it is. Even a passionate country has its limits, and this would apply to the most ardent of cricket fans for whom watching cricket continues to be a privilege beyond their means.
When the fans are accounted for, perhaps the game can be restored to a healthy state and a thriving one at that.596175
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