ICC World Cup 2023: Spectators face trying times during Indo-Pak clash at A’bad

Divya Bhagyanath and Priyanka Nazareth

The blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan was a treat to watch for the Indian spectators at Narendra Modi Stadium as India thrashed the 1992 World Cup winners by seven wickets with nearly 20 overs to spare on Saturday. However, the same cannot be said about the experience of some fans at the colossal stadium in Ahmedabad. Quite a few spectators were victims of amenities apathy whose examples ranged from poor sanitation in toilets to insufficient number of exit gates, causing chaos during entry and exit.

Unhygienic washrooms
Mumbai-based cricket fan, Divya Bhagyanath, who was seated in the M stand, said the washrooms were very unhygienic. "The state of the toilets was terrible. I only went once [to the washroom] in the whole day. The flush tanks did not function; I checked 10 loos. There was no attendant to help you. There wasn't a single dustbin in the toilets; just a cardboard box for you to throw stuff there. Getting water was also painful. Sometimes you're allowed to take it into the stadium, sometimes you aren't."

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Bhagyanath, also revealed that the architectural spectacle, capable of housing 1,32,000 spectators, was littered with plastic bottles even before the match. "When we were getting in, the area near the steps, to enter the stadium, was full of plastic bottles, old bottles. They were there from maybe the match before. People were just walking over them. For such a big match, you expect them to clean up. It's a beautiful stadium, but I wish they had paid attention to everything else as well," Bhagyanath said.

Hassle for entry, exit
Another Mumbai-based spectator seated in the R block, Priyanka Nazareth, who travelled to Ahmedabad, said entry and exits were a problem. "What was taxing was the entry and exits. They could have been handled way better with more personnel hired to control the crowd. It took us 45 minutes to enter and exit. In peak heat, this was horrible. There was a line for women, but there was still a lot of pushing and rush to get in," Nazareth said. "When I bought an iced tea, the guy selling it didn't have any money, so he said he'll be back with the change, but he never returned," she added.