Kolkata, September 10 (Daily Kiran) : The President of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), Sourav Ganguly, provided clarity on the distribution of complimentary tickets during a press conference in Kolkata. He explained that these tickets are allocated separately from regular tickets and are intended for affiliated entities, government representatives, ministers, and current and former presidents of the ICC and BCCI.
During the conference, Ganguly stated, “State associations are informed about how to manage ticket distribution for the World Cup. Stadium agreements are established during the tournament, which are sent to all hosting associations by the ICC and BCCI. Previous World Cups included venues like Eden Gardens, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Ahmedabad. Each hosting association must comply with these stadium agreements.”
He noted that discussions regarding membership tickets took place during the last World Cup. According to the stadium agreement issued by the BCCI to the CAB, it explicitly states in Schedule 5, Clause A, that there shall be no special allotment or preferential access for any category of members, including life members and honorary members. All individuals must purchase tickets through official channels, including online platforms, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Ganguly also addressed concerns about why honorary and associate life members of the association did not receive tickets despite the availability of complimentary tickets. He clarified that BookMyShow is not CAB’s agency but a central ticketing agency appointed by the BCCI to manage ticket sales under strict guidelines from the BCCI and ICC.
He emphasized, “The BCCI mandated that all tickets must be available online for members and the general public to ensure stadiums are filled. CAB has a long-standing tradition of providing complimentary tickets over the past 30 years, which continues. For instance, during the recent Test match against South Africa, CAB adhered to its policy of distributing tickets to its honorary associates and life members, but the same was not applicable for the World Cup due to the stringent guidelines from the ICC and BCCI.”
Ganguly further explained that the state association must provide complimentary tickets as per the requirements of the ICC and BCCI, and manage the remaining ticket inventory accordingly. He reiterated that any arrangements regarding hospitality boxes or general stands are relinquished by the state association, following the directives of the main governing body. Therefore, no deviations from these guidelines will occur during the World Cup.
He urged everyone to avoid spreading misinformation, stating that complimentary tickets are allocated to affiliated entities, government officials, ministers, and past and present presidents of the ICC and BCCI, in addition to the paid tickets that remain.
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