With the 2011 ICC World Cup knocking at the door, country’s cricket lovers’ inquisitiveness about how they can buy a ticket has reached a high pitch. The common query among the cricket mad people of the country is when the tickets will be put on sale. And where they can buy them?
But until this moment the issue has not been finalised.
Bangladesh will host eight matches, six in Dhaka and two in Chittagong, including two quarterfinals besides the opening ceremony that will be held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on February 17.
Bangladesh’s tournament director Ali Ahsan Babu, who informed that they had even been getting phone calls from expatriates who were desperately looking for getting a ticket, on Tuesday gave hints that the selling might start by mid-November. But he stopped short of confirming who would get the ticket selling rights.
But there is bad news for the fans because they will have to fight hard for getting a ticket as the local organising committee (LOC) will keep about 40 per cent of tickets to distribute among the International Cricket Council and local dignitaries. LOC wants to make a payback to the local high-ups who are helping them in preparing for the showcase event.
The capacity of the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur is little more than 26,000 but only 16,000 to 17,000 tickets will be available for the fans for each match while the percentage will be same for the 16,000-capacity Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong.
For the opening ceremony at the 25,000-capacity Bangabandhu National Stadium most of the tickets will be reserved for the invitees.
“The tickets will be available either at an outlet or a bank in all 64 districts of the country, but there might be five to six outlets or bank branches designated to sell the tickets in Dhaka. Actually we are yet to decide about the timing and sponsor,” said Babu adding that Moneygram, an international money transfer company, stood a very good chance of getting the rights.
“We are not in favour of giving all the tickets online because few people have international credit cards,” he added.
Five per cent tickets were put on sale online from June 1 through the World Cup’s central organising committee and the respective boards of the three co-hosts — Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka — will sell the rest of the tickets.
Besides the opening match against India to be held on February 19, Bangladesh will take on Ireland on February 25 in Dhaka, West Indies on March 4 in Dhaka, England on March 11 in Chittagong and Netherlands on March 14 in Chittagong.
The two quarterfinals will take place in Dhaka on March 23 and March 25.
BCB has already fixed the rates for the galleries.
TICKET RATES
Eastern Gallery (Category D) USD 3.00
North Gallery (Category C) USD 6.00
South Gallery (Category C) USD 6.00
Club House (North-South) USD 10.00
International Gallery (North-South, Category A) USD 30.00
