Champions Trophy tickets: Starting price for matches in Pakistan is Rs1,000

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has earmarked the starting prices for Champions Trophy tickets at Pakistan rupees 1,000 (Dh13.18), as per an internal document of the cricket board in possession of PTI.

The document, however, does not include suggested ticket prices for the matches in Dubai chosen as a neutral venue to host India’s matches and perhaps even a semi-final and final if Rohit Sharma’s men qualified for these knockout games.

Base price increases for key matches

The list in possession of PTI revealed that PCB has kept the lowest priced ticket for the General Enclosure at 1000 Pakistani rupees for all matches in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.

But for the Pakistan and Bangladesh match in Rawalpindi the general enclosure fee has been increased to rupees 2,000 PKR (Dh26.35) and for the semi-final to rupees 2,500.

The PCB has also kept VVIP tickets for all games at Rs 12,000, but for the semi-finals it is rupees 25,000 for this same enclosure.

The premium enclosure tickets are priced at Rs 3,500 for the matches in Karachi, Rs5,000 in Lahore and 7,000 for Pakistan’s match against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.

The PCB plans to keep VIP enclosure prices to Rs7,000 for Karachi, Rs7,500 for Lahore, Rs12,500 for the Bangladesh match.

The number of tickets up for sale for general spectators will be 18,000 but it is still not clear how many tickets one person can purchase at a time and whether tickets will also be available at ticket booths or only online.

Normally, as per ICC event rules, the host country sells tickets for the matches and keeps gate money earnings and also revenue from sale of hospitality boxes. This is besides the hosting fees paid by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Tickets for Dubai matches

Since ICC picked Dubai as a neutral venue to host India’s matches, an insider confirmed that the PCB believes it is entitled to keep gate money receipts and hospitality box sales for the games in Dubai, including the blockbuster match on February 23 against arch-rivals India.

The PCB intends to keep the gate money from the Dubai games since the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) will be paid operational costs, including ground rent.

“The ECB will obviously advise the ICC and PCB on the ticket rates for different enclosures in Dubai and what prices should be charged for hospitality box sales before announcements are made,” the insider said.