Why posh Wankhede is still a disgrace

The Mumbai Cricket Association can say that they have limitations, but this city's cricket lovers deserve better than a situation where only 4000 tickets are available for the aam janta

Why posh Wankhede is still a disgrace

The Mumbai Cricket Association can say that they have limitations, but this city's cricket lovers deserve better than a situation where only 4000 tickets are available for the aam janta (those who don't have anything to do with affiliated clubs) for the April 2 World Cup final.

Equally, if not more, disgraceful is the capacity figure ufffd 33,317. President Sharad Pawar (also International Cricket Council chief) may have done some wonderful things for his Mumbai Cricket Association, but he could have also used his massive clout and cricketing passion to ensure Mumbaikars got a bigger cricket stadium.

Probably, the one at Bandra Kurla Complex that the MCA ruling group often boasts about especially when elections are round the corner.

Prof Ratnakar Shetty, the MCA's treasurer was quoted as saying yesterday that there were only 4000 tickets for public consumption because the association is committed to providing 8500 tickets to the ICC and around 20,000 tickets would have to be made available to affiliated clubs. The figure attributed to the ICC is huge and worth the question, "why would they need so many seats?" Surely, this figure deserves justification from the Dubai-based cricket body.

Secondly and more importantly, do the Czars of the game consider public benefit when it comes to awarding big games? In Wankhede Stadium's case, the biggest of all games ufffd World Cup final.

Going through the images that emerged from a media interaction, the Wankhede looks more impressive than ever in the stadium's 36-year-old history.

But the moot question is: Should a 33,317-capacity stadium host a World Cup final?

Do you agree with this view? Email us at sports@mid-day.com

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