Despite the vast stretches of empty seats in Ahmedabad, which drew criticism and scorn from observers across the world, Cricket World Cup organizers stated they were pleased with the turnout during the tournament’s opening match between England and New Zealand. When the England all-rounder Danielle Wyatt tweeted, “Where’s the crowd?” she was reflecting the feelings of many.
Tens of thousands of empty seats could be seen on television as fans avoided the exposed lower tier of the second-largest sporting venue in the world on a sweltering October afternoon and those with tickets elsewhere postponed their entry into the venue or chose to come only after the end of the workday.
The crowd rose throughout the day, and although the organizers declined to provide an official attendance figure, about 45,000 tickets had been sold, making it the best-attended first match of any 50-over World Cup. Despite this, the 132,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium scarcely noticed the increase in attendance.
Outside of the stadium, there were some issues as well. Foreign tourists who needed to pick up their tickets but couldn’t provide an Indian address were told upon arrival that the pickup location was a hotel 20 minutes away.
With the schedule being decided less than two months before the commencement of the event and tickets going on sale only six weeks beforehand, the World Cup’s organization has come under fire for being disorganized. The final itinerary for the tournament that England hosted in 2019 was revealed 13 months before it began, and tickets were completely sold out more than six months beforehand.
Though organizers claimed there were good reasons for it, the choice to start the tournament on a weekday with a match involving a team other than the hosts will be questioned. In order to maximize audiences, the host broadcaster insisted that all of India’s important matches be played on the weekends. Of their nine group games, six will be played on either a Saturday or a Sunday, including the first and last as well as their matches against Australia, Pakistan, England, New Zealand, and South Africa.
It would be challenging to give teams the time they need to travel between venues and recover in between games, however, if the tournament were, to begin with an India game on a weekend and end as planned on November 19 without being extended by an additional five days. They believed that beginning the tournament where it will end and featuring a repeat between the two teams who produced an exciting final in 2019 will increase interest in the game.
But as a tiny smattering of spectators gazed on as Sachin Tendulkar carried out the trophy before the start of play, that interest appeared at best lukewarm. The limited shaded places in the stands, as well as the lower levels behind the bowler’s arm at each end, which were the most visible to foreign fans and where tickets were most expensive, progressively filled up throughout the afternoon.