"BCCI has tried to ensure that...": Rajeev Shukla on Kolkata Police complaint over black-marketing of WC tickets
Nov 05, 2023
New Delhi [India], November 5 : Weighing in on the complaint filed by the Kolkata Police with regard to black marketing of match tickets for India's World Cup clash with South Africa at the Eden Gardens, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice President Rajeev Shukla on Sunday said the apex cricket administrative body in the country tried to ensure that tickets are made available to the maximum number of fans.
Speaking to ANI, Shukla said the BCCI asked every state cricket board across all 12 venues, hosting World Cup matches, that tickets should be booked online.
He added that the tickets booked online were either couriered or given hand-to-hand at a decided place.
The BCCI vice president added that the board only had an advisory role to ensure that the majority of fans get tickets.
He stated further that BCCI is nowhere directly responsible for the black marketing of ODI World Cup 2023 match tickets.
Shukla said the BCCI and ICC made a rule prohibiting the resale or transfer of tickets to another person, adding that the police have to prosecute those found guilty of it.
"BCCI has tried to ensure that tickets are available to the maximum number of fans. The Board told the state associations of all 12 World Cup venues that tickets should be booked online. The tickets, so booked, were either couriered or given hand-to-hand at a decided place. There is a direct agreement between the state association and the ticket-distributing agency in this regard. The BCCI only has an advisory role to ensure that more and more fans get the tickets. We are not directly responsible for this. The BCCI and ICC made a rule prohibiting the transfer and resale of tickets. If someone still does it, then the police have to stop them. The BCCI is not responsible," Shukla said.
Earlier, a fan lodged a complaint with Maidan police station in Kolkata that due to the inconveniences of booking online tickets on the portal BookMyShow, people were being deprived of tickets for the India-South Africa clash on Sunday.
Following the complaint, a case was registered at the Maidan police station and an investigation was launched.
