World Cup ticket prices to be nominal: Ratnakar Shetty

To ensure spectators at matches that do not feature the host nations, tournament director of next year's cricket World Cup in the sub-continent, Ratnakar Shetty, has said the ticket prices would be kept nominal.

To ensure spectators at matches that do not feature the host nations, tournament director of next year's cricket World Cup in the sub-continent, Ratnakar Shetty, has said the ticket prices would be kept nominal.

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"The Central Organising Committee (COC), which is headed by Mr Sharad Pawar, who is also ICC President, has taken several decisions in trying to make this event a memorable one and to ensure that the non-India, non-Sri Lanka and non-Bangladesh games also have good spectator attendance," Shetty said in an ICC release.

"What we have also impressed upon the venues is to keep the ticket rates at the minimal and affordable so that people come to stadia, and to look after the spectators, media and players facilities. The emphasis has been not on the size of the stadia but at ensuring that the facilities are good at all the grounds."

The ICC's flagship event will start in Dhaka on February 19 and will also be played in India and Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, looking back at the year goneby, ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat finalising the Future Tours Program was one of the highlights of 2010 for the ICC.

"Restructuring of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) was quite significant where we created the Test Championship model. This will add a lot of context and meaning to the bilateral cricket.

"The anti-doping code was introduced and came into effect in 2010 while the Decision Review System (DRS) was also significant. We have seen how it is aiding the umpires in the current Ashes series.

"There was a change of guard in the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) with Sir Ronnie Flannigan taking over from Lord Paul Condon. This year there was also a change of presidency when Sharad Pawar took over from David Morgan."

Talking about the challenges that await the ICC in 2011, Lorgat said, "The single big objective is to deliver a world-class ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. That is our flagship event. It's The Cup that Counts.

"We will also like to finalise the new FTP League structure that we have got. We have got the new league rules to agree on. Hopefully during the year we can agree that the first World Test Championship can be held in 2013. It is still something which is a work in progress," he added.