Sourav Ganguly accused of biased distribution of tickets for India-England ODI match

What’s the story?

Former Cricket Association of Bengal treasurer Biswarup Dey alleged Sourav Ganguly denied him the allotted quota of complimentary tickets for the India-England ODI on January 22.

Ganguly, however, refuted the allegations. “He always takes about 200 to 300 tickets from me, so his allegations are baseless. I don’t want to comment further,” the former Indian captain said.

In case you did not know

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly was appointed the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) in 2015, after the death of Jagmohan Dalmiya.

Heart of the Matter

Dey, who had to step down from his post in the Cricket Association of Bengal after having completed nine years in office, alleged former India captain, as well as Gautam Dasgupta, the association’s trustee board chairman, and his team that they “unethically” denied him the “allotted quota of complimentary tickets.”

Citing The Lodha Committee’s verdict of transparency, Dey in a letter to Ganguly stated that as per the verdict, the distribution of tickets for International/IPL matches should have transparency. Dey was quite surprised that after rendering years of service to CAB in different capacities, not a single ticket was given to him.

He argued that they could have allotted him tickets on the basis of a former joint secretary or a member of CAB affiliated unit even after his administrative career was over. On the allegations, Dasgupta said that ticket distribution was purely the president’s call. As per the list given by Ganguly, Dey’s name was not mentioned along with two more office-bearers.

Dey demanded a reply to his letter with valid reasons within a week's timeframe, or else, he said, he would move the Board.

Parallels from history

This is not the first time that the iconic stadium has come to news for wrongful distribution of tickets. During the buildup to the India vs Pakistan World T20 game in March 2016, many fans alleged that there was no sale of the tickets for the big game at the counter, and that the authorities instead sold tickets in black for five times the cost price.

Sportskeeda’s Take

A live cricket game at the stadium, many fans argue, has become a privilege of the rich. As per reports, most tickets are distributed unethically, and in rates higher than its printed price. And it is always the ardent cricket lover at the losing end.