In the forthcoming Test series between Sri Lanka and India what is pragmatic about the “Dwindling spectator curiosity” apparent in the Test venues in the previous home series’ against Australia , West Indies,Bangladesh ,and Zimbabwe.
It was a gigantic compassion to glimpse only miniature spectator surveillance at these closely contested International matches. Spectator interest should have been at the forefront of the minds of authorities of Sri Lanka Cricket. They should very well comprehend that a Test match will not be booming without a significant spectator audience.
In the matches played at the SSC, P.Sara and R Premadasa stadiums, there were plenty of vacant seats, the television cameramen never focussed on the empty stands. Such barrenness is not felt when Test matches are played in India Bangladesh, Australia, England and some other test playing nations. Sri Lankan fans also are equally passionate about cricket. But the non affluent have to hurdle over obvious constraints to watch a Test match unlike our counterparts in other countries.
In contrast in the ongoing Test series in England between the hosts and South Africa there were almost full houses. This impressive spectacle was seen via television was very gratifying.
In Sri Lanka there are enough and more cricket enthusiasts who are non affluent but fanatical to arrive to the venues if they are afforded accessible basic incentives such as nominal entrance fees, subsidised lunch packets and perhaps given constrained free soft drinks, bottled water and of course good refuge to defend the scorching sun. It should be announced that the entrance Test venues be free for students. I have my doubts whether the most non affluent school children may not have tasted even a burger or canned coca cola, leave alone at a Test venue. They would be buoyant to gaze at Test cricket with zest and passion if afforded this scenario.
These committed youth cricket fans should be encouraged by giving free snacks, bottled water to pursuit the hunger and thirst in order to attract them to the Test venue. Some types of such incentives have to be accessible to attract schoolboys to make the stands somewhat full so that the bareness in the stands would not be felt. Surely there are enough conventional reputed companies who could come forward contributing to this exercise as a sponsorship drive also to make this endeavour a flourishing success from the perspective of the game of cricket played at the highest level. This is food for superlative thought for the authorities of the SLC.
Strategies could also have been strained up to magnetize spectators by compliance of incentives such as slashed tickets, refreshments at cost , easy transport facilities, shelter and drinking water etc. On the other hand all invitees and officials are all well looked after with VIP treatment The low attendance reflects very shoddily on our cricket which is highly ranked amongst the world’s cricketing fraternity while Sri Lanka has come to be known widely worldwide because of the cricketing prowess and competence..
It is the fervent hope of all cricket lovers that counteractive steps would be taken by the interrelated authorities to attract more spectators during the Test series against the mighty Indians. This should be a matter treated as precedence as these dour scenes with barren stands should not be tolerable, exposed to the world which is telecast worldwide.
Sunil Thenabadu, 18 Nevron Drive, Bahrs ScrubQueensland 4207 Brisbane,20thJuly 2017 Tel 0061738041967 e mail [email protected]