As the cricketing world eagerly anticipates the high-octane ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is facing a barrage of criticism over the appalling condition of seats at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The opening match will feature the finalists of the 2019 edition, England and New Zealand, followed by Pakistan taking on the Netherlands the following day.
However, the arrangements have fallen far short of spectators' expectations amid ongoing warm-up matches.
The fury erupted following a spectator shared a picture and video highlighting the unsanitary conditions of the seats on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
This video is for those doubting thomoses who felt my earlier pics were edited. pic.twitter.com/xmC5ti9hCm
— C.VENKATESH (@C4CRICVENKATESH) October 3, 2023
While some speculated that the image might have been manipulated, Venkatesh later substantiated his claim by sharing a video depicting the deplorable state of the seating areas.
Senior sports journalist Vikrant Gupta, upon witnessing the viral images, expressed his shock, stating, "Shocking. To say the least."
Shocking. To say the least https://t.co/WRM0984dFL
— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) October 3, 2023
Netizens have been relentless in their criticism of both the BCCI and India, the host nation, for failing to uphold the expected standards, especially considering the significant influx of fans anticipated for the tournament.
Many have deemed it a disgraceful oversight on the part of the BCCI for not ensuring the cleanliness of the stadium seats.
It is worth noting that the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium is slated to host only three matches during the World Cup 2023.
Pakistan and the Netherlands will participate in two matches at this venue, while teams such as Sri Lanka and New Zealand will each play one match here. Notably, this will be the sole venue in the tournament where India will not feature in any match.
