ICC World Cup 2023: BCCI secretary Jay Shah explains reason behind delay in schedule, ticket sales

The focus of the cricketing community all over the world is firmly on the ICC World Cup even if the tournament is a little under a month away from kickoff. The build-up to the quadrennial mega event however, has been far from smooth for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with the announcement of the tournament schedule as well as the sale of tickets getting delayed.

The World Cup schedule, which normally gets announced a year before the tournament, was announced on Tuesday, 27 June. That schedule, however, did not turn out to be the final one with several matches, including the high-profile India vs Pakistan showdown, getting rescheduled.

Additionally, fans have been having a hard time purchasing match tickets, the sale of which had been delayed due to the late announcement of the schedule as well as the subsequent changes.

Read | IND-PAK tickets going for Rs 19 lakh, IND-AUS for Rs 9.3 lakh

BCCI secretary Jay Shah however has come to the board’s defence over delays in schedule and ticket sales.

“The delay has been primarily caused by the need to ensure that the tournament schedule aligns with various logistical and participating members’ operational challenges and broadcast requirements. As a result, the BCCI has been working diligently to finalise all aspects of the tournament, including venue availability, team schedules, and other essential arrangements,” Shah said in an interview on Sportstar.

In order to manage the massive demand for tickets in the cricket-mad nation, the BCCI has decided to release another 4,00,000 tickets after speaking with state associations. The “general sale of tickets” for all matches in the tournament had gone live from 8 pm on Friday, 8 September and those for the semi-finals and final will go live from Friday, 15 September.

Read | First lot of IND-PAK World Cup tickets sold out during pre-sale window

Shah, who also heads the Asian Cricket Council, additionally felt that the challenges of hosting a tournament of this scale in a country as big as India came with its own set of challenges.

“Organising a 50-over Cricket World Cup in a country as vast and diversified as India presents both exciting opportunities and unique challenges. The scale and diversity of India require meticulous planning, coordination, and execution to ensure the tournament’s success and seamless experience for players, fans, and stakeholders,” Shah added.

Read | India announce 15-man squad for ICC World Cup

The 13th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup, the sport’s showpiece event, begins on 5 October with defending champions England taking on 2019 runners-up New Zealand at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. Hosts India begin their campaign three days later against Australia in Chennai.