2023 Cricket World Cup
The opening match of the 2023 Cricket World Cup between England and New Zealand was played to a largely empty stadium in Ahmedabad, India. The Narendra Modi Stadium, which has a capacity of over 130,000, was reportedly only about a third full.
The low turnout was met with derision from cricket fans on social media, with many people asking “Where’s the crowd?”
There are a number of possible explanations for the low turnout. One possibility is that the match was played on a weekday afternoon, when many people were at work or school. Another possibility is that the high ticket prices deterred some people from attending.
It is also possible that some people were simply not interested in attending the match. Cricket is not as popular in India as it once was, and there has been some criticism of the International Cricket Council (ICC) for scheduling the opening match of the World Cup between two non-host nations.
Whatever the reason for the low turnout, it is clear that the ICC missed an opportunity to make a big splash with the opening match of the World Cup. The empty stadium was a poor reflection on the tournament and on the game of cricket.
The ICC has said that it is disappointed with the low turnout, and that it is investigating the reasons for it. The ICC has also said that it is committed to making the rest of the World Cup a success.