ICC 2023 ODI World Cup: Fan-doom on the rise

After the ODI World Cup final on November 19, most fans will regret the lack of “I was there” moments since the tournament was not well planned.

Chaotic build-up: While the tickets for the much-hyped India vs Pakistan game on October 14 go on sale only on September 3, most hotels in Ahmedabad are already booked. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI

Ninad Indapurkar, a 29-year-old cricket enthusiast from Pune, had planned to watch at least one 2023 ODI World Cup game at the largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad by setting aside a budget at the start of the year. However, with no schedule announced until June, the tax consultant had to abandon the plan, fearing it would exceed his budget.

In neighbouring Bangladesh, Tanvir Ahmed and 17 friends managed tickets for at least two of their league games, but only three have visas. Processing a Bangladeshi national’s visa to India takes at least three months.

Both Indapurkar and Tanvir have the same grouse. “Had the World Cup schedule and ticketing been announced well in time, we would not have suffered.”

The duo represents scores of cricket fans left in the lurch by poor planning from the International Cricket Council and the Board of Control for Cricket in India ahead of the Men’s World Cup. For a sport like cricket, which, despite 100+ countries playing, is still considered predominantly a 10-country sport, a World Cup hosted in India presents an opportunity for cricket to attract fans and commercial partners from all over the world, including relatively unknown territories.

It seems both the ICC and BCCI missed a trick with the World Cup schedule. Unlike other major sporting events, such as the Olympics, the fixtures were only announced 100 days before the opening game on October 5, and with 57 days remaining, 20 per cent of the schedule was later revised, causing concern among cricket fans on social media over whether the biggest World Cup ever will also be the messiest one ever.

“It is an unprecedented situation. We don’t know how to handle all these issues in such a short period,” says Nazmul Hasan, head of business operations at Discovery Tours and Logistic, a Dhaka-based firm that is an ICC-affiliated official travel agent for the World Cup.

Previously, travel agents were given six months to plan ICC World Cup tours. Not this time, though. “Getting an Indian visa for Bangladeshi nationals is a long process. Right now, the wait time is at least three months, which means by then, the World Cup is over. So, unless you have an existing Indian visa, it’s very difficult for the Bangladeshi fans to make it to the World Cup,” says Hasan.

While the agency has approached the Indian High Commission in Dhaka with a formal request to expedite visas, for the few who have a visa, the cost of travelling to India has almost doubled. Thanks to the delay and change in the schedule and the ticketing process, the cost of a basic tour package per person has risen by at least 70 per cent from the initial 30,000 BDT (approximately Rs. 22,700).

Shorter end of the stick: Travelling fans have been left in the lurch with the delays in the announcement of the World Cup schedule and ticket sales, leading to pandemonium. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

“But even then, we are not sure whether we will be able to acquire visas for the fans. The hotel prices have gone haywire, and for an average cricket fan, it is a huge challenge to spend so much money, and because of such a messy situation, a lot of customers are even back-tracking their decisions,” Hasan adds.

It has resulted in Tanvir, who has travelled across the globe to cheer for the Tigers, and his friends doubling up their budget. “Among the 18-member group, only three have Indian visas now, and the rest of us are waiting. We want to watch Bangladesh’s first two games in Dharamsala, but it’s not a smooth experience,” Tanvir says.

“We initially planned to take a morning flight from Delhi to Dharamsala and watch the day-night game, but due to changes in the tournament schedule, our game will now start at 10.30 am, which means we will have to reach Dharamsala a day in advance, and now we are told most hotels are sold out.”

Hotels in all 10 host cities are either sold out or inflating prices, making it difficult for cricket-loving fans to find affordable accommodations. While Indapurkar managed to book tickets for the New Zealand versus South Africa game in Pune instead of a match in Ahmedabad, others planning to attend are struggling.

While the tickets for the much-hyped India vs. Pakistan game on October 14 go on sale only on September 3, most hotels in the city are already booked. The average hotel tariffs in the city have shot up at least 20 times.

Narendra Somani, president of the Hotels and Restaurants Association of Gujarat, believes at least 30,000 fans are expected to travel to Ahmedabad for the marquee clash.

“The total number of rooms available in Ahmedabad is around 15,000. About 1,000 rooms are booked by the BCCI and the ICC. Since the demand does not meet supply, the room rates have been high,” Somani says.

“Right now, people have randomly blocked the rooms, but if they don’t get tickets, obviously there will be cancellations. That could lead to some dip in prices.”

Sportstar sent a questionnaire to the BCCI and the ICC about the mismanagement of the lead-up to the tournament, but neither responded.

While the organisers are busy taking the fans for granted, hospitality industry veterans have come up with innovative plans to cater to affluent fans.

Cutting Edge Events Private Limited, an ICC-accredited travel agency that has been organising cricket World Cup tours for two decades, has come up with the novel idea of a charter flight for the India-Pakistan game.

“We are the only company that has come up with this idea. We have booked two to three chartered flights and can accommodate about 600 to 700 people,” says Mayank Khandwala, the owner.

“The flight will reach Ahmedabad on matchday morning, drop the guests off at the stadium, and return to Mumbai a few hours after the match gets over. That avoids the hassle of finding a hotel and all that. The cost of a charter plane, meals, local travel, and the priceless ticket? Approximately Rs 1.10 lakh each. “For such big tournaments, there will obviously be challenges, but we hope to have a good tournament,” says Khandwala.

Come October 5, and all the hassles of the fans will be put to the backburner as a cricket-crazy nation with the largest population in the world will lap up to the World Cup. Moreover, the teams will barely face any problems, with a majority of state associations knowing the drill and their members devoted to cricket full-time.

But even after the final on November 19, most fans will regret the lack of “I was there” moments since the tournament was not well planned.