Windies board defends hike in ticket prices

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has defended its decision to impose a £160 (US$225) "cricket surcharge" on tickets made available to England supporters who are travelling to the Caribbean in April next year to watch the series between England and West Indies.

The Caribbean - Antigua and Barbados in particular - has become a popular destination for cricket-watching overseas tourists, and on England's last visit in 1997-98 there was considerable local unease with the number of tickets allocated to visitors as many locals were unable to watch games. The cash-strapped WICB has looked to derive revenue and stem burgeoning demand from the tourists with the levy, leaving many supporters fuming with accusations that its actions amount to little more than "blackmail and theft".

The WICB explained that the extra revenue would be spent on developing the local infrastructure ahead of the 2007 World Cup, and that the massive demand for the St John's and Bridgetown Tests had left them with little option. "We recognised that there is always a huge influx of supporters from the United Kingdom and Europe and that we haven't managed the ticketing procedure properly in the past," Darren Millien, the WICB's marketing executive, told the Times newspaper. "Installing up to 7000 visitors in our small, 8000-seat stadiums has brought us harsh criticism from our own supporters, who were unable to get into the matches. This way we will be able to increase the stadium capacity by installing temporary stands and manage the situation properly, so that we have a much fairer distribution of tickets."

Five-day tickets for the third Test in Barbados range in price from £289 to £348, while similar packages for the final Test in Antigua cost between £258 and £389. Tickets for the less-popular Jamaica and Trinidad Tests are cheaper, but are still more than £200 for a five-day pass. At between £40 and £70 a day, it compares with the most expensive seats at any Test ground in England. A final sting in the tail is that there are no refunds on any day if more than 15 overs are bowled.

One Cricinfo reader wrote to us to say that the increase was "a disgrace". He explained that in 1998 he paid a total of £55 for the five days of the Barbados Test and planned a return visit with his family in 2004, but that the new prices were out of his budget. But according to London-based New Century Marketing, who are handling ticket sales to England supporters, there has been little drop-off in demand, with some stands in Barbados and Antigua sold out within days of tickets going on sale.