WTC Final: The Oval is a benchmark for India to improve on in-stadia experience

WTC Final: The Oval is a benchmark for India to improve on in-stadia experience

To watch India play a game of cricket in England is a pleasure. To watch India play at The Oval even more so. And if it’s a match as important as the final of the World Test Championship (WTC), it just doesn’t get any better.

It doesn’t matter where you’re watching the game from. The Pavilion End or the Vauxhall End, from one of the suites or the executive boxes, the Westminster Terraces, or the Bedser Stand. The view is simply excellent all around.

If you don’t drink, there’s an alcohol-free section. If you can’t walk, you can get wheeled up to the stands. If you can’t find your seat, there’ll always be someone around to guide you.

The stadium’s capacity is 27,000 and when it holds an international game, regardless of the format, expect every ticket to get sold. That, and the manner in which the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) goes about ensuring a comfortable day for the visiting fans, are aspects India’s stadiums can learn from.

In no particular order, here’s a list of few things aimed at making your Oval smooth and fun:

* In the 27,000-seat stadium, expect a minimum of 22,000 tickets — close to 80 percent — to go on sale. Unlike India, where a chunk of tickets are handed out as complimentaries, the number of seats sold can be as low as 50-60 percent of the capacity.

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* You’ll be frisked politely. Water, food, coins, flags, banners, a bag to keep your belongings are all allowed.

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* The ticketing process is smooth, enabled through multiple online platforms. The English cricketing calendar for the home season is planned so well in advance that there’s no last-minute rush to grab seats.

The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) must ensure that schedules are announced in advance so that fans can plan their holidays / travel / budgets and watch the cricket they want to.

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* The BCCI must also ensure that a good number of tickets go on sale rather than just a handful. At the Oval, outside of an International Cricket Council (ICC) game, the only complimentary tickets are in the member stands. For an ICC game, there are additional complimentary tickets for the visiting boards and ICC members. Still, locals say you can “expect 75 to 85 percent of the tickets to be on sale.”

* The visiting teams and their fans are welcomed and accorded space and privileges. For instance, Indian cricket fans walking in with dhols (drums) find the space to play, dance, and have fun, buy hot food that’s around the corner, and are cheered for by one and all when their team does well.

Cricket associations in India should take note and elevate the experience at least in part, if not full, to begin with.

The BCCI, and some stadiums, have tried to up the game by improving certain aspects of in-stadia viewing by installing giant screens, on-pitch cameras, etc., but a lot more needs to be done.

The physical collection of tickets at some Indian Premier League (IPL) venues led to massive jams. At some IPL grounds, toilets stayed unmaintained, a shocking state of affairs in this day and age.

While it can be revealed that the BCCI has just signed up a top hospitality management company to look at the in-stadium experience with a fresh vision, there’s a lot to pick from how things are done at The Oval, where watching cricket is as pleasing as it gets.