St John's (Antigua), Nov 23: West Indies Cricket Board officials are defending a rise in ticket prices for British fans attending England's tour of the Caribbean next year, saying the higher cost fits the market and is in line with rates in other regions. Tickets that previously would have cost USD 300 per Test match will now cost about USD 560 per match for English fans, officials said yesterday.
The appointed contractor selling the tickets in Britain, new century marketing, made the decision due to strong demand, said Derrick Nicholas, the Board's operating officer.
"It is bringing the price of tickets in the West Indies in line with what it obtains in the rest of the world," he said.
In a statement, the cricket board said it "has rejected accusations of profiteering on the sale of tickets in the UK."
The board said the additional "levy" would go toward development of cricket facilities in the Caribbean, which is preparing to host the 2007 World Cup.
The four Test matches against England will be played in March and April in Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados and Antigua. Fans buying tickets in the Caribbean will pay considerably less.
English fans and British cricket officials have criticised the higher prices.
Tim Lamb, chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board, said in a statement that English officials were "extremely unhappy about the situation, about which there was no prior consultation”. Bureau Report