Low turnout for high-profile India vs Pakistan fixture, thanks to exorbitant ticket rates

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An India v Pakistan ODI witnessed by a sparse crowd? Unthinkable, but true. Eighty per cent of the seats for Sunday's big Asia Cup tie between the two teams at the R Premadasa Stadium here were vacant. After the disappointment at the Pallekele Stadium in Kandy, the organisers were expecting a good number of supporters from India and Pakistan in Colombo.

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Though the India v Pakistan matches are being held here, the host is still the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The minimum ticket price fixed by PCB was USD 145 (approximately 46,800 Sri Lankan rupees) while the maximum was kept at USD 240 (about 77,400 SL rupees).

The price for a ticket in the hospitality stand was USD 700 (2.25 lakh SL rupees). Last year, the economic situation in Sri Lanka had deteriorated significantly with inflation reaching its peak. The situation has improved a bit.