Wankhede ticket issue high on Mumbai Cricket Association(MCA) agenda

The case of the 405 tickets left unsold for the 2011 World Cup final will be discussed again at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s Annual General Meeting on Friday.

The MCA had appointed an inquiry committee to look into the matter. The association also issued a letter to its clubs, asking them to share details on the ticketing issue. In this regard, the MCA will present a report to its members.

Meanwhile, a couple of clubs are keen to name the Wankhede Stadium press box after the late Shiv Sena president Balasaheb Thackeray, who was an avid cricket lover. The proposal has the backing of the Khandala Cricket Club and the PD Hinduja National Hospital and, naturally, the blessings of Uddhav Thackeray and son Aditya.

The issue of ticket distribution to the MCA members is likely to be discussed. In the past, the managing committee recommended that tickets be given to affiliates, on priority basis, at half the actual rates. However, since the clubs often fail collect their passes, the MCA wants to allocate them passes at public rates.

The proposal, understandably, doesn’t have too many takers. “The association suffered a loss to the tune of more than Rs one crore for the India-England T20 game last December as the clubs did not collect their tickets. We couldn’t convert them into public sales owing to the problem of entertainment tax,” an MCA official told DNA.

Some clubs have also suggested an increase in the number of allocated tickets to the MCA’s 329 clubs: 12 for IPL and 34 for international matches. They have recommended that 10 per cent of the income from AC boxes be distributed equally among all its affiliates as financial assistance.

@rizvitaus