Asia Cup's silent stands: High prices keep fans at bay

The all-important Asia Cup Super Four duel between Asian cricket heavyweights India and Pakistan kicked off in front of large swaths of empty chairs.

Emotions frequently soar on the cricket field, yet the fervent ambiance of an India-Pakistan clash elevates the adrenaline to new heights. However, at Sri Lanka's largest stadium on Monday, the resounding echo was that of bat striking the ball, rather than the usual crescendo of decibels enveloping the venue.

High ticket prices and rain were seen as two prime suspects behind the sad sight of centurions Virat Kohli and KL Rahul competing against a backdrop of plastic seats.

The ticket-selling authorities informed Mid-Day that the least expensive tickets offered for the Sri Lanka vs. Pakistan match on September 14 were priced at 200 INR. However, many fans hesitated to invest that much for an evening's entertainment, considering that movie tickets in Colombo typically range from 200 to 250 LKR (approximately 50 to 100).

"What's the joy in coming here, getting soaked in the rain, and having your hard-earned money taken away when you can enjoy it from the comfort of your home? I came here because my 10-year-old son is a huge Virat Kohli fan. Personally, I believe they're charging us excessively. A grandstand ticket costs 40,000 to 50,000 LKR (approximately 10,256-12,817 INR). For many Sri Lankans, this exceeds a month's salary," expressed Lalith Hettigoda, gesturing toward the open stands that offer no protection from the elements.

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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been in charge of setting the ticket prices for the Asia Cup as they are the hosts of the six-team tournament.

The initial ticket prices caused quite a stir, particularly with India vs. Pakistan falling into the premium category. The original ticket rates as declared by the PCB ranged from a minimum of $10 (approximately 830 INR) to a maximum of $200 (around 16,581 INR).

Fearing another ‘lower than expected' turnout, the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board bowed to the spectre of empty seats by slashing ticket prices up to 95 percent. But this ingredient was not enough to entice the crowd to the venue. Less than 6,000 people were present at the start which grew to around 6,500 as the Indian innings progressed, at a venue which has the seating capacity of 35,000.

With Colombo having a good representation of Indians and Pakistanis, the organisers were expecting to see a good turnout. Nearly a decade ago, during the World T20 game between the same teams, the Premadasa Stadium had no space left to accommodate fans - as it has been in Mirpur, Sydney, Adelaide, Abu Dhabi, Birmingham, or Manchester.

The Sri Lankan board also tweeted about the price reduction of tickets for all the Super Four matches, including the one between India and Pakistan. While the price of C and D Upper Block tickets at the Premadasa Stadium had been slashed to LKR 1000 (250 INR), the rate for C and D Lower Block tickets was LKR 500 (128 INR). However, the price reduction is only applicable to the remaining Super Four matches as the prices will be restored for the summit clash scheduled on September 17.

Sri Lanka endured months of food and fuel shortages last year following a severe foreign exchange crunch, which led to widespread protests culminating in the ouster of its President. When Mid-Day enquired about the financial impact of the unsold seats, a local administrator said ‘this is not something we need to discuss with the media' and that the issue would be taken up with senior members in the board. Groundsmen staff at the stadium, on the other hand, held Pakistan accountable for the paltry attendances.

"They (Pakistan board) are to be blamed. I know the tickets are too expensive and that has driven the fans away. The ticket prices are beyond the reach of a common man here," a groundsman at the Premadasa stadium told Mid-Day on condition of anonymity. "We certainly expected more people during Super 4s because it was the weekend. There was no sign of rain on Saturday, but there were insignificant numbers on both days. Their board (PCB) have kept the ticket pricing too high, it is stupidity to expect a good turnout at such rates," complained another.

Tickets for ODIs in the crisis-hit island nation have generally cost around 70 INR (250 LKR) in the past, which saw a hike of up to 2,564 INR for the ongoing multi-nation tournament. Besides India vs Pakistan, the small crowds during the home team's Super Four clash against Bangladesh on Saturday also struggled to half-fill the stadium's capacity and raised eyebrows among cricket pundits.

"All of us in the family love to watch cricket but cannot pay so much to watch it live. Moreover, it is not like the World Cup. We better watch it live on TV," Saketh de Silva, a bookseller outside the stadium, told Mid-Day. "There were times in the past when we watched matches here at 100-150 LKR (26-38 INR). If they want a crowd, they should consider bringing down the rates," he added.