R1,000 for a family of four, and Kingsmead still couldn't fill up — Where were the Proteas fans?
Six years without an ODI, a public holiday, and the reigning world champions in town. Kingsmead still couldn't fill its seats — and with a home World Cup a year away, that's a problem nobody can keep ignoring.
On a Heritage Day morning with South Africa off work and basking in the Durban sunshine, the reigning cricket world champions returned to Kingsmead. The 25,000-seater stadium, which had not hosted an ODI in six years, sported rows of empty blue seats and open grass banks. Despite a few fans trickling in throughout the day, the stadium still lacked the atmosphere for a sold-out event.
Kingsmead, with its rich cricketing history, had previously hosted memorable moments such as Jacques Kallis' farewell match in 2013 and Jacques Kallis' emotional century. However, on this public holiday, fans appeared to be operating on "African time," causing disappointment for the Proteas and the cricketing public. Cricket South Africa's spokesman admitted that the small crowds were a concern, and the die-hards present tried their best to create some atmosphere during key moments of the match.
Despite the team's efforts to improve the spectator experience, including the addition of food courts and facility renovations, the fans once again let the venue down. The opportunity to redeem themselves will come when the first Test series against Australia comes to Kingsmead next month, but the future of hosting major international cricket events may be called into question if this issue is not addressed.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
