AHMEDABAD: The optics of a disappointingly low crowd made for grim viewing as New Zealand thrashed defending champions England on Thursday at the start of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

Only a few hundred spectators saw the early passages of play, although the number grew as the mercury dropped after sunset. Despite the official attendance figure being 47,518, the International Cricket Council stated it was “a record crowd for a World Cup opening game”.

With the explosion of Twenty20 cricket both in global events and lucrative franchises, the 50-over game was already facing the biggest crisis of confidence in its 52-year history.

“We believe strongly that ODIs should be World Cups only,” Mark Nicholas, the new president of the MCC, the body responsible for the laws of the game, told ESPNcricinfo.

Organisers fear similar low turnout for matches not featuring India

“We think it’s difficult bilaterally now to justify them. They’re not filling grounds in a lot of countries. And there is a power at the moment to T20 cricket that is almost supernatural.”

The tournament also started without any grand opening ceremony.

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According to the Times of India, a source familiar with the matter said that an opening ceremony was never planned for the World Cup.

Contrary to usual scenes at almost all venues when India play, or even when matches of the Indian Premier League are held, there were hardly any large swathes of raucous fans waiting outside the stadium in the lead-up to the start of the tournament.

Organisers fear stadiums for this World Cup will continue to struggle to attract full houses — a likely scenario in matches not involving India, like the opening game at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

England and New Zealand players also did not expect to be greeted by empty stands as they began their world cup campaigns. “Where’s the crowd!?” asked English batter Danielle Wyatt in a post on social media platform X.

This year’s World Cup has only 10 teams, but will take 45 days to complete.

And as BBC’s chief cricket writer Stephan Shemilt noted: “The build-up has been far from ideal.”

He pointed out how a schedule was not released until June and had been perpetually tinkered with since. Tickets have only been on sale for a month, while journalists and fans from Pakistan have been facing high barriers to entry.

But the Indian premier was conspicuous by his absence. As the showpiece tournament opened, Modi was 450m away in Jodhpur, laying the foundation stone of various projects.

It was in stark contrast to Xi Jinping attending the opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Hangzhou last month, and the way leaders are usually keen to be in attendance when their respective countries raise the curtain on top sporting events.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2023