Fans frustrated over ‘very shoddy’ Cricket World Cup ticketing process

Attending a World Cup is on the wish list of every cricket fan. The opportunity comes once every four years, the wait is long and arduous, it might be expensive – but in the end, it’s worth it.

Attending a World Cup is on the wish list of every cricket fan. The opportunity comes once every four years, the wait is long and arduous, it might be expensive – but in the end, it’s worth it.

Many fans in India had hoped to attend the Cricket World Cup on home soil, but the organisers’ delay in announcing the final schedule and a chaotic ticketing process have forced many to give up on their dream.

The International Cricket Council, cricket’s global governing body and organisers of the World Cup, released the fixtures on June 27; just 100 days before the start of the tournament on October 5, when defending champions England take on New Zealand in the opener in Ahmedabad.

The delayed announcement was met with backlash from fans as schedules for the last two ODI World Cups in Australia and New Zealand (2015) and England and Wales (2019) were put out more than 12 months in advance.

Then on August 9, less than two months out from the start of the tournament, the 2023 World Cup organisers made things even more complicated for fans by releasing a revised schedule.