ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to allow spectators, ticket sales begin

Spectators will be able to watch the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 in stadiums despite the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tickets for the 45 matches of the tournament are on sale on the ICC website, the international cricketing body said in a press release on Sunday.

The T20 World Cup is set to start in Oman with a first round group stage on Oct 17, where eight teams, including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, will compete.

Four teams from the first round will advance to the Super 12 round, joining eight other teams who have already qualified.

The minimum ticket price in Oman has been set to OMR 10, or, around Tk 2,220.

After the group stage, Australia and South Africa are scheduled to play the first match of Super 12s in the UAE’s Abu Dhabi on Oct 23, where the main competition begins. The price of tickets starts from AED 30 or around Tk 700.

The sporting event will conclude with the final on Nov 14.

In the UAE, all venues will be operating at approximately 70% of maximum seated capacity. The Oman Cricket Academy has had temporary infrastructure built to welcome approximately 3,000 fans.

The ICC and event host Board of Control for Cricket in India have worked closely with host authorities to ensure that COVID-19 protocols are followed at all the venues, according to the press release.

The World Cup begins with the first Round 1 match between Oman and Papua New Guinea in Muscat. Two of cricket’s biggest rivals, India and Pakistan, will clash on Oct 24 in Dubai.