Cost of Attending a Lord's Test 'Preposterous': David Lloyd Criticises 'Elite' Pricing For ENG v IND Test Matches At Lord’s

Lord’s will still be packed, but the ticket prices for next July’s third Test between England and India are shocking. Prices have been raised to a staggering £175 (Rs 19,544). The cheapest seats for days 1 to 3 are £90 (around Rs 10,000), but these come with a restricted view.

Former English cricketer and commentator, David Lloyd in his Daily Mail article, writes, “Paying that much for a seat where you can’t see the entire field is ridiculous. What might you miss? The batsman? A catch down at fine leg?”

“Test cricket is in danger of becoming an event only for the elite. It risks excluding regular fans who can’t afford such high prices. Sure, it’s fun to spot celebrities in the crowd, but cricket needs to cater to everyone, not just the rich,” he added.

According to him, Lord’s sets the trend for other grounds and if tickets here are £120 – £175 (around Rs 13,000 -Rs 19,000), other venues might follow suit.

“But who sets these prices? Who decides that £175 is fair? I’d love to know the answer,” he mentioned in his column at The Daily Mail.

He goes on to say that the people making these decisions live in a different world. “At Lord’s, stewards collect champagne corks after every over. But, at places like Headingley, try throwing a can of Tetley’s over the boundary and see what happens!”

“I’m speaking for the everyday fan. The kind who enjoys a football match with a pie and Bovril. For us, paying £120-£175 (for one day of cricket is outrageous. It feels like the MCC knows the price of everything, but the value of nothing. They’re risking losing the connection between this great England team and the public,” concluded Lloyd.

“So, the face value cost of attending a single day of a Lord’s Test is utterly preposterous to me. The MCC seem to know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

Social media is full of people who agree. Many say they simply can’t afford to attend. Many said they can’t justify spending £120-£175 (on a ticket and that a fair price would be £100 (roughly Rs 11,000) for the best seats and £50-£60 (Rs 5,000 – Rs 6,500) for others.