Fans demand ticket refunds in anger at Pakistan allegations

Members of the Pakistan cricket team arrive back at the team's
hotel in Taunton, Somerset, following a training session

Hard evidence of public disgust at the scandal engulfing the Pakistan cricket team emerged with widespread reports of fans trying to cancel tickets already purchased for the one-day international series against England.

Reaction has been particularly marked in Yorkshire where, as the seriousness of the allegations has become clearer, large numbers of ticket holders have demanded a refund. According to club officials the callers said they were furious about the betting allegations uncovered by the News of the World which has now turned into a drama involving at least four investigations, three of them criminal.

However, it seemed last night that it would not be quite so easy for cricket fans to vote with their feet: refunds were being refused on the grounds that the tickets had been sold in good faith and the matches were going ahead.

The backlash started in Yorkshire, which is hosting the one-day international at Headingley on Sunday week. Other grounds staging games in the five-match series have also been affected by the scandal, and could also undermine ticket sales for the two Twenty20 internationals in Cardiff.

Neither of those games at the 16,000-capacity Swalec Stadium are anywhere near to a sellout, with only 6,000 tickets sold for the second match next Tuesday. As of this afternoon it seemed highly unlikely that there would be a last surge of interest in the fixture.

But it is in Yorkshire where the complaints have been loudest and most numerous. Headingley will stage the second match in the 50-over series and it was already guaranteed to be a sellout of about 17,000 before the News of the World sting. The county's chief executive, Stewart Regan, admitted that many will be attending reluctantly, having tried unsuccessfully to cancel their bookings in protest at Pakistan's conduct.

"The phones in the club office haven't stopped ringing from people wanting to vent their fury and ask whether they can get refunds on the one-day international," Regan told the Yorkshire Post. "I've personally fielded several calls and we've had numerous enquiries about cancelling tickets.

"From the club's point of view, we can't give refunds simply because people have got a personal opinion about what's gone on, no matter how much we might agree with them. The club has sold tickets in good faith and, just as we understand the spectators' position, they appear to understand ours."

Officials at Surrey and Glamorgan confirmed that they had also taken smaller numbers of calls from ticket holders who were either angry or confused following last weekend's revelations.

The Oval will stage the third match in the 50-over series next Friday and is close to a 23,500 sellout, but tickets are still available for the last two games at Lord's and the Rose Bowl.

Durham are also hopeful of a sellout of about 15,000 for the first game in the series next Friday. "We're pretty pleased with the way sales have gone, and as far as we're concerned as long as the games are going ahead there wouldn't be a refund," said their chief executive, David Harker.