Fans fume over empty stands in England vs New Zealand World Cup opener: ‘This is embarrassing’

Delay in sale of tickets sparked criticism from fans because ICC took longer than usual to confirm final schedule

Spectators watch the 2023 ICC men's cricket World Cup one-day international (ODI) match between England and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 5 October 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

Cricket fans were left fuming after the 2023 World Cup kicked-off in a near-empty stadium in India on Thursday.

Despite the craze for cricket in India, more than 100,000 seats appeared to be empty in Ahmedabad as England and New Zealand played the opening fixture of the World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium – the largest cricket arena in the world with a seating capacity of 132,000.

The sight of England’s Jonny Bairstow facing the opening ball of the World Cup against New Zealand’s Trent Boult in front of a glaringly small crowd was not the best impression of India’s obsession with the sport. It certainly caught the attention of those who were watching on TV and digital devices.

“Look at all those empty seats. It looks awful on TV. Host should always open the WC. Finalists can play the following day,” one person wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag wrote, referring to the Hindi name for India: “Hopefully after office hours, there should be more people coming in. But for games not featuring Bharat, there should be free tickets for school and college children. With the fading interest in 50 over game, it will definitely help that youngsters get to experience a World Cup game and players get to play in front of a full stadium.”

Glenn Philipps struck twice to get rid of Moeen Ali and Joe Root (REUTERS)

Inside the Narendra Modi Stadium ahead of the big start (Getty Images)

One of the reasons behind fans not turning up in massive numbers could be the fact that the opening match was being played mid-week and it did not involve host country India. It wouldn’t be wrong to assume that not many fans would be interested in travelling to Ahmedabad for a non-India game.

Warm afternoon temperatures in Ahmedabad hovering around 34-35°C could also have deterred fans from hitting the stadium to watch the opening match.

“Really hope the stadium gets filled a bit by evening. The World Cup opener deserves more public on the stands!” cricket enthusiast Mufaddal Vohra wrote on X.

Another X user wrote: “Disappointed to see the empty chairs of World Cup Opening Match in world largest stadium. BCCI failed to fulfill the stadium despite of Distribution of Free Tickets with Lunch and Tea Coupons.”

“Do Indians actually like cricket? There are roughly 6 million people living in Ahmedabad. 1% of them would have the stadium more than half full. It isn't even a quarter full,” another user wrote.

The delay in sale of tickets for the World Cup had already sparked criticism from fans because the ICC took longer than usual to confirm the final schedule.

The first match of the World Cup – the biggest cricketing event of the calendar year – is quite clearly not even close to being sold out.

"This is just embarrassing at this point. Toss for the opening game of the WC happening in front of a completely empty stadium,” another X user wrote.

It was reported in Indian media that in a bid to fill the Narendra Modi Stadium, the organisers offered free tickets to roughly 30,000 to 40,000 women from Ahmedabad along with free vouchers for tea and lunch.

However, the stadium is expected to explode on 14 October when arch-rivals India and Pakistan face off in the World Cup. It has been reported that tickets for India vs Pakistan got sold out within minutes after they went up on the official website. The same venue will also be hosting the final, which is on 19 November.

Tickets for the grand finale are expected to go on sale at the beginning of next month.