Cricket World Cup tickets will be affordable

DUBAI - Tickets for the 2011 cricket World Cup will be available at affordable prices, tournament director Ratnakar Shetty said Friday.

The World Cup, beginning Feb 19, 2011 will be co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

“The Central Organising Committee (COC), which is headed by ICC president Sharad Pawar, has taken several decisions in trying to make this event a memorable one and to ensure that the non-India, non-Sri Lanka and non-Bangladesh games also have good spectator attendance,” Shetty said at a World Cup promotional event here.

“What we have also impressed upon the venues is to keep the ticket rates at the minimal and affordable so that people come to the stadia and to look after the spectators, media and players facilities. The emphasis has been not on the size of the stadia but at ensuring that the facilities are good at all the grounds.”

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said the objective is to deliver a successful World Cup.

“The single big objective is to deliver a world-class World Cup. That is our flagship event. It’s The Cup that Counts,” Lorgat said.

“We will also like to finalise the new FTP League structure that we have got. We have got the new league rules to agree on. Hopefully during the year we can agree that the first World Test Championship can be held in 2013. There is still work in progress.”