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World Cup Monitor

Gilchrist wants ticket fire-sale

Empty stands at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium at North Sound, Australia v Bangladesh, Super Eights, Antigua, March 31, 2007

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Adam Gilchrist has called on the World Cup organisers to slash tickets to bargain-basement prices in an effort to fill some of the empty stands. Gilchrist believes it’s just not right to play such a major tournament in such an idyllic location with so few spectators.
"You come to the Caribbean to experience that unique atmosphere that is Caribbean cricket," Gilchrist told AFP. "There certainly is an element of the sterile feel about it. I don't know whether that's because administration hasn't let it flow or whether people just aren't turning up. It's a little bit frustrating.”
Restrictions on what items can be taken into the stadiums, ticket prices and the poor form of West Indies – not to mention India and Pakistan’s exits – have not helped the situation. "Whatever the [pricing] policy is at the moment, it doesn't seem to be working,” Gilchrist said.
“So maybe we can look at dropping the price and have a sale. I know retailers with over-stocked merchandise certainly have a sale every year … maybe that's something we can look at.”

Jayaditya Gupta is executive editor of ESPNcricinfo in India