Australia-based Indian cricket fans are driving Twenty20 World Cup ticket sales, with the last remaining allocation for the India-Pakistan match at the MCG on October 23 expected to be snapped up when they go on sale on Thursday.
A crowd of more than 90,000 is expected, with India and Pakistan only able to play each other in world events because political restrictions prevent bilateral series.
Indian fans will be out in force for the T20 World Cup in Australia.Credit:AAP
India’s five preliminary matches are the best selling of the tournament, with more than 80 per cent of tickets for those games purchased in Australia.
Men’s T20 World Cup Local Organising Committee CEO Michelle Enright praised south Asian fans for their passion and support.
“One of our key priorities is to ensure as many people as possible can be part of a home World Cup,” Ms Enright said. “Fans in the Indian and Pakistan community have an incredible passion for cricket and this fixture will be a wonderful opportunity for them to come together and celebrate their culture.
“The MCG is one of the biggest stadiums in the world and while we still will not be able to accommodate everyone at this fixture due to the unprecedented demand, we do encourage fans who miss out to attend other matches where tickets are still available.
“While Australia are the host country, the spread of ticket sales across various teams shows that this will be an inclusive event for people of all ages and backgrounds.”
Tickets to Pakistan and Bangladesh fixtures are also performing strongly from within their Australian communities.
Other matches with strong ticket sales are the Australia’s opening match against New Zealand in Sydney on October 22 and the final at the MCG on November 13.
As many as 800,000 people are expected to attend across the tournament.
Cricket Australia plans to use the T20 World Cup as a springboard to further engage with south Asian communities as India continues to be Australia’s largest single source of migrants.
In October Sydney cricket identity Darshak Mehta wrote a column questioning why more players from the sub-continent had not made their way through the Australian system, given decades of mass migration.
More than 4000 standing-room tickets and a limited number of seats will be released from 12pm AEST for the previously sold-out match.
General ticket allocations sold out within five minutes of going on sale in February.
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