It’s final fever as tickets hit £1,000
TICKETS are being sold at 15 times their face value for tomorrow’s IndiaPakistan Champions Trophy showdown as fans flock to cash in on the first final between the sides in a decade.
Despite breaching the competition’s terms and conditions, many fans who bought tickets months ago have bypassed the official website, where they can be re-sold only at face value.
Sites such as Viagogo and Stub Hub allow buyers to accept the highest bid, with one pair of tickets yesterday on sale for £2,000. In another instance, a fan who originally paid £ 140 for a pair had received an offer for £1,100.
The ICC, who managed to re- sell around 6,000 semi-final tickets through official channels, can cancel any that are sold on at a profit, though the practice is not illegal.
The late clamour for a seat at the Oval comes as the ICC expect record-breaking viewing figures for the final.
More than 83 million tuned in for last year’s India-Pakistan clash at the World Twenty20 — the most-watched 20-over game since the sides contested the 2007 final in Johannesburg.
India famously won that game by five runs after Misbah-ul-Haq was caught trying to scoop Joginder Sharma over short fine leg. It remains the only time these old enemies have contested a global final, but India’s overall record against Pakistan in ICC events is overwhelming.
At 50- over World Cups, World Twenty20s and Champions Trophies, India have beaten them 12 times out of 15 and tied once. That included a 124run shellacking when the sides met in this tournament almost a fortnight ago.
Sensibly, India’s captain Virat Kohli — who has been dismissed only once in the competition while amassing 253 runs — refused to be seduced by the possibility of another victory.
‘We’ve seen some really surprising results and it’s been amazing for the fans to watch and for the players to be a part of,’ he said. ‘We’re not going to take anything for granted, for sure.’
Pakistan go into the game relatively unburdened by expectation, and on the back of wins against South Africa, Sri Lanka and England — all engineered by their characteristically dangerous bowling attack.
That attack looks set to be boosted by the return from injury of Mohammad Amir, who missed the semi-final win over England in Cardiff with a back spasm. The prospect of Amir teaming up with Hasan Ali, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 10, ought to be enough to keep India’s batsmen on their guard.
Azhar Mahmood, Pakistan’s bowling coach, said: ‘We are the most unpredictable team in the world and we’ve got a huge following. We are here to win it.
‘It wouldn’t be a shock if we won. No one gave us a hope when we got here. We were the No 8-ranked side, and no one gave us any credit. But someone asked me before the tournament who would be in the final and I said Pakistan.’