- By Himanshu Badola
- Fri, 28 Jul 2023 04:51 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The BCCI have decided to provide drinking water as a complementary service in the upcoming ODI World Cup in India as confirmed by the board secretary Jay Shah as a solution to the multiple questions raised over the facilities and services to fans at the venues.
The board reportedly is thinking over a partnership with Coca-Cola, which is the official ICC partner to provide free drinking water to fans throughout the marquee event. The decision came after Jay Shah’s meeting with the heads of various state associations.
"There will be a pre-World Cup project and post-WC project which will be carried out for the upgradation of stadium infrastructure. We are also prioritising hospitality and water. Regarding water, we have decided to tie up with Coca-Cola, which is the official ICC partner, and provide their water in the stands to the fans. It would be either in bottled form or in glass form. It would be complementary," ANI quoted Jay Shah as saying.
Apart from free drinking water, discussion was also held regarding the housekeeping, toilets, and maintaining the hygiene of cricket stadiums. The pricing of the tickets and the schedule were also featured in the discussion, as per reports.
Talking about tickets, Shah said that BCCI has talked with the majority of state cricket associations. There is a time frame to think over and finalise the matter.
"Following this, ICC and BCCI will make an announcement jointly, regarding pricing as well. Ticket partner is also decided," he said.
Jay Shah turned down the possibility of e-tickets for the enormous event adding that it's not possible but the board will ensure proper arrangements to redeem tickets at various places ahead of the game.
The lack of e-tickets at certain venues during Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 led to a massive rush outside the stadiums as fans found it difficult to manage the physical copy of tickets.
However, Shah said that multiple centers will be created for procuring the physical ticket copy and arrangements would be made to ensure a smooth experience for fans during the ODI World Cup.
"Fans will be encouraged to come via metros since a lot of stadiums are metro connected. We cannot do e-tickets this time. We would make arrangements so that tickets can be redeemed at various places a week before. It would make things hassle-free," he added.
The tournament will kick off with a high-intensity contest between England and New Zealand in Ahmedabad on October 5. However, all eyes will be on the Indian cricket team as they begin their campaign on October 8 against five-time World Champions Australia in Chennai.
