Last Updated on 1 year by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: Fans criticise BCCI for ODI World Cup planning | BCCI criticised for lack of clarity around World Cup schedule
The 2023 ODI World Cup fixtures were finally confirmed this week, less than two months before the showpiece tournament is scheduled to begin.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has come in for criticism for confirming the fixtures so close to the event. After the draft schedule was released, boards wrote to the BCCI requesting adjustments because the original fixtures had a number of logistical and travel challenges.
Earlier this month, Geoff Lemon and Adam Collins of The Final Word Podcast didn’t miss in their assessment of the BCCI’s planning for the big tournament.
“BCCI must be the most incompetent major sports body in the world. It’s pretty hard to make the argument otherwise, just purely on the practical grounds we’re laying here,” said Lemon.
“There is World Cup in under three months that still doesn’t have a reliable fixture. You can’t book to go to games because they might change to another city and date entirely.”
“I don’t think the BCCI are evil. They are just really bad at doing stuff.”
2023 ODI World Cup: Fans criticise BCCI for their planning
The uncertainty around dates and locations has made it challenging for fans to organise tickets and any required travel and accommodation for World Cup matches. Supporters have accused the BCCI for not putting the fans first, but such is India’s passion for cricket, we can expect many of the matches to be sold out.
There have been claims that the board cares most about the Indian Premier League (IPL), with international cricket not at the forefront of the BCCI’s mind any longer. However, there was also mismanagement and ticketing chaos during the recent IPL season. Fans alleged there was a huge rush to collect physical tickets for the final, which saw what supporters described as a “stampede”.
“It’s pleasing to see the Indians in the comments concurring with what is being said in the video. The schedule, the arrangements in absolute shambles. If there is one cricket board which doesn’t care about its fans it’s the BCCI. It also happens to be the richest board, what a shame!” one fan wrote.
Another fan said, “Expecting fans from all the over the world to come in for a global event, with the schedule confirmed just 2 months before the start of the event is highly optimistic, to put it very mildly. A missed opportunity for Indian tourism, thanks to the incompetence of the BCCI.”
Below are some of the reactions from fans over the past few weeks.
The World Cup will begin with a rematch of the 2019 Final on October 5. England will take on New Zealand at Ahmedabad, before hosts India begin their campaign in a blockbuster against Australia at Chennai on 8 October.
The final will be played at Ahmedabad on November 19.
