Muralitharan criticizes PCB over pricey tickets for India-Pakistan clash in Asia Cup 2023

Colombo: Former Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan on Monday voiced strong criticism against the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for imposing exorbitant ticket prices, which have resulted in nearly empty stadiums during the highly anticipated India and Pakistan matches in the 2023 Asia Cup.

Muralitharan expressed his concerns about the unreasonably high cost of tickets and squarely placed the blame on the PCB for this situation.

"The PCB is responsible for setting the ticket prices since they are hosting the Asia Cup this year. Sri Lanka is currently grappling with a severe financial crisis. The ticket prices are exorbitantly high, and although they were reduced just before the India vs. Pakistan match in Colombo, this kind of adjustment is insufficient," Muralitharan stated.

 "Ticket prices start at Sri Lankan Rupees 6000 and can go up from there. To sit in the grandstands, it costs between 40,000 to 50,000 Sri Lankan Rupees, which is equivalent to a monthly salary for many people in Sri Lanka. I doubt anyone in Sri Lanka can afford such prices," he added.

The Asia Cup 2023 initially faced logistical challenges due to India's reluctance to play in Pakistan, leading the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to adopt a hybrid model with some matches in Pakistan and others in Sri Lanka. However, the high ticket prices in Sri Lanka discouraged fans from attending matches, including those featuring India and Pakistan.

Muralitharan highlighted that Sri Lanka has traditionally had a passionate cricket fan base, but the prohibitively high ticket costs have prevented many from attending matches.

"Normally, when there are cricket matches in Sri Lanka, stadiums are filled to capacity. People are eager to come and watch these matches, but the steep ticket prices have kept them away. Even the Sri Lanka vs. Bangladesh game on Saturday, despite the home team performing well, didn't draw a significant crowd," he further explained.

The 51-year-old former cricketer also pointed out that predictions of rain ahead of the India and Pakistan Group A match may have discouraged ticket purchases.

"The league match between India and Pakistan ended in a tie (no result) due to rain. Perhaps, the rain forecasts deterred people from taking a chance. Additionally, there was some confusion about the venue change from Colombo to Hambantota for the Super 4 matches and the final. Such uncertainties can make people hesitant to buy tickets," he concluded.