World Cup 2011: Haroon Lorgat regrets ‘unfortunate’ baton charge on fans outside Chinnaswamy Stadium
International Cricket Council’s (ICC) chief executive, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Haroon-Lorgat-c61719 has lamented the brawl that broke out between the police and the crowd that had lined up outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
“Those were scenes we did not want to see. It is most unfortunate,” Lorgat said.
Police had baton-charged on angry cricket fans who could not buy World Cup tickets for India’s Group B match with England. The scenes of the cricket enthusiasts exchanging blows with the police authorities were broadcasted around the world. Two people were reportedly injured in the brawl and admitted to the hospital.
Lorgat has assured cricket fans that measures will be taken to prevent such unfortunate scenes in the future, by following better ticketing policies. He regretted the confrontation but insisted the local authorities knew best how to handle the crowd in these circumstances.
The ticket crisis seems to be far from resolved and knockout matches are expected to run into similar problems. The ticketing fiasco has resulted from the limited number of tickets on offer. Most of the tickets have been reserved for the organisers and their affiliated clubs. Around 4000 tickets were also made available to the fans in the UK and it is still uncertain if such a large number of people will travel to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 to see the match. The allocation of tickets has been greatly criticised by cricket lovers at home.
“What is unfortunate is (only) a few numbers go to the public in a general sale - whether it's through the clubs, associates or ICC channels,” Lorgat commented on the public’s outrage.
“It is a fact of life that we have a commitment to sponsors, supporters over a long period of time,” he added.
The ICC has announced that for the semi-finals and finals they will use a ballot system at allocate tickets; they are confident that it will be lot less complicated and convenient for everyone involved.
Despite the unfortunate incidents, Lorgat believes it’s a sign that the 50-over format of cricket is still very much alive.
“This is just a reflection on how strong and popular our sport is,” Lorgat said.
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