Icc’s Speed Defends World Cup Pricing

International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed has defended the
organisation of the Cricket World Cup currently taking place in the Caribbean
which has been criticised for its high ticket price strategy.

The cost of tickets has led to a number of grounds being half-empty for the
majority of matches which in turn has resulted in a lack of atmosphere.

But ICC chief Malcolm Speed says he’s concentrating on the ‘positives rather
than the negatives’.

Said Speed: ‘The local organising committees make recommendations about
ticket prices to Cricket World Cup which then seeks input from the ICC. Our only
input at that stage was to say we believe we need to have more tickets at the
bottom end of the range.

‘We expect each country will know its own economy and pricing. We do exactly
the same thing if we go to England.

‘We are told by people in the West
Indies who set these prices, that $25 is perfectly reasonable.’