Sehwag, Shastri buzzed over poor crowd during ENG vs NZ World Cup opener
As the match started the overwhelming sight of vacant seats at the Narendra Modi Stadium quickly stole the spotlight.
Crickate
The England vs. New Zealand World Cup 2023 opener was anticipated to be a big hit. The two sides faced off in the greatest cricket match ever played at Lord's in 2019 four years ago. As a result, many people anticipated an exciting match for the opening World Cup match between England and New Zealand in India.
But the real world was very different. It seems that the people in Ahmedabad held a distinct viewpoint. The startling sight of empty seats at the Narendra Modi Stadium immediately brought attention to itself as the telecast got underway. The fact that the attendance did not increase once the game started raised even more intriguing questions about whether there was a lack of excitement surrounding the World Cup.
The unexpected images went viral on social media, inspiring thought about the vacant stands from a number of well-known former cricket players. Virender Sehwag, a former Indian opener, was among many who voiced concerns. He highlighted the waning public interest in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and suggested a possible remedy.
Hopefully, more individuals will be arriving after office hours. However, school-age and college-age children should receive free tickets for games that do not feature Bharat. It will undoubtedly help that kids get to watch a World Cup match and players get to play in front of a full stadium, as interest in 50 over games is waning "he wrote on X (previously Twitter).
Sehwag makes sense. The first half of the contest's poor attendance can be attributable to two causes. To begin with, Ahmedabad's weather isn't the best to draw large crowds. It's not shocking that fewer people are tuning in, given the city's 35-degree heat index. It also doesn't help that it's Thursday, a working day. It is anticipated that the throng would increase when the sun sets, as Sehwag noted. Still, there should be some caution given that this is one of the quietest World Cup beginnings for cricket.
More than 90,000 fans packed the MCG for the 2015 World Cup opening, while the Oval hosted the 2019 World Cup opener, which drew an equally enthusiastic crowd. Moreover, the buzz around the opening World Cup match has diminished due to the host country, India, not playing. The host country has historically started the competition to guarantee a large number of spectators, as seen in the last three ODI World Cups. The first four games of India's campaign, which is set to begin on Sunday, might not be that exciting, though.
"Certainly," Shastri retorted, "especially in a ground like this, which can hold 1,10,000 people." I know you would want a previous runner-up to participate, but please, make sure your home team plays. If it were England vs. India, a packed house would be assured. At least 70,000–80,000,000 people would have visited, even on a weekday. It only increases the buzz. Something is building up.
