"Where's the crowd?" chants the audience during the opening match of the Cricket World Cup.

Cricket fans slam tournament organisers in India as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 gets under way amidst thousands of empty seats in Ahmedabad.
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It was advertised as the most anticipated cricket event of the year, to be staged in the sport's largest stadium in the world, in a country famed for its devotion to the game.

However, when the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 finally began on Thursday in India, just a few thousand seats were occupied in a stadium that had been renovated for the event in order to accommodate at least 120,000 fans.

As England and New Zealand faced off at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium, which will be renamed after India's prime leader in 2021, cricket fans flocked to social media to voice their outrage at the rows of vacant saffron-colored seats staring back at them.

Danni Wyatt of England women's cricket asked "Where's the crowd?" in a post on X, the social networking site formerly known as Twitter.

Her Indian counterpart, Jemimah Rodrigues, stated that the audience is anticipating India's match against Pakistan on Saturday, October 14.



Delayed ticket release, last-minute changes anger fans

The tournament's scheduling and ticketing procedures have been criticized by fans.

The initial set of tickets went on sale on August 25, fewer than six weeks before the first match, making travel arrangements problematic.

Indian cricket fans who had been waiting for years to see the sport's greatest event in their own country told Al Jazeera that they had given up on their ambition of cheering for their side at home.

Vipul Yadav, a well-traveled sports enthusiast, called the ticketing process's administration "nonsensical."

"Nowhere else in the world do you have to fight so hard for a ticket." "All of this happened because the ticket release was done too late," he explained.


No Indian team, no Indian fans

Several hundred supporters from both competing countries could be visible in the stands during the first few innings of the England vs. New Zealand match.

When the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah was spotted sat in the stands in the middle of England's innings, he took it upon himself to fill at least one more seat.

As the game progressed, local supporters began to fill some seats, although attendance was nowhere near half full.

During the match commentary, former India captain Ravi Shastri stated that India's absence in the first match may be a major reason in the seeming lack of interest from local spectators.

Indeed, this is the first time in 27 years that the tournament's opening match has not featured a host nation.

Ironically, the last time it happened was during an India-hosted World Cup, with the same teams squaring off at the same location, albeit then known as the Motera Stadium.


Before the game, Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar stepped onto the field with the tournament winner's trophy and happily waved to the few fans.

Later, Tendulkar sought to patiently explain the local supporters' devotion to foreign cricketers, promising to "make it a special event for all players."

However, the backlash persisted online.

Manya, an Indian cricket enthusiast and writer, believes that creating the world's largest stadium is not the same as becoming the world's sports administration.


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