IND v WI 2018: BCCI limits its complimentary passes for matches to half

According to the new constitution, the associations were suppose to provide only 10% complimentary tickets.

The BCCI has decided to now share half of its own complimentary passes to the staging units | Getty

The supreme court appointed Committee of Administrators(COA) decided on Saturday, October 6, to reduce the number of complimentary passes BCCI offers to its important stakeholders during India matches to half, so as to maximize the member of the general public in audiences at the grounds. 

The Vinod Rai led COA sanctioned 600 extra complimentary tickets from BCCI’s share to the grounds hosting the scheduled matches, during the ongoing West Indies tour of India, after expression of displeasure from the various associations. 

According to the newly laid BCCI constitution, 90 percent tickets were supposed to be released for general public with only 10 percent being the usual complimentary passes. 

The game's governing body in the country has had mandatory rule of providing five percent complimentary tickets to its sponsors and broadcasters.

Responding to the situation, the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA), which were to host the 2nd ODI against the touring Caribbean side at Indore, gave up their hosting rights for the same. Even the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) stated that they won't be able to host the games under the new arrangement. 

The COA then, in a meeting conducted to immediately resolve the matter, curtailed BCCI's share of complimentary passes from 1200 to 604.

As per PTI, The BCCI has wrote to its association units, “In the spirit of the mandate of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, the Committee of Administrators has decided to limit the BCCI’s requirement for sponsor and other free allotments as much as possible from 1200 to 604, so that the number of complimentary tickets available to the hosting State Association is maximised.”

The board will take 184 hospitality passes and 420 next best category per match during the India versus West Indies series and the membership tickets won’t be categorised in the 10 percent allocation as per the new constitution - a huge relief for Sourav Ganguly's CAB, which is due to host one of the three T20Is. 

“Please note that all tickets sold/ allotted to members (of the host State Association) as per the terms and conditions of their membership will not be counted towards the prescribed 10 percent limit as mentioned above,” the COA further wrote and added, “We trust that since the BCCI’s requirement has been reduced from 1200 to 604, the above arrangement will address the issues being faced by the State Associations and that the State Associations will come together in the greater interest of the game of cricket and honour the commitment made by them to the fans of cricket.”

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 07 Oct, 2018

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