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Fans in the hot seat

Twice, in the past three years, I have been to the WACA ground in Perth, for the one dayer between Australia and whichever team happens to be visiting at the time. Each time, it was a sellout -- in fact, in all the years I have been in Australia, I don't remember a time when it wasn't a sellout.

Knowing this, I tend to book my tickets three months in advance. For a game that is normally played at the end of January, tickets go on sale around August of the previous year, and they can be booked on the phone, or in person. Depending on availability, patrons have a choice of seats. In addition, tickets at concessional rates are made available to low income earners, students, pensioners and people with disabilities.

For a match starting at 10:00 am, I can get to the stadium at 9.30 am, park my car in the additional parking facilities that have been provided for the day ofthe match, or I can take public transport specially laid on for the occasion. There are a number of gates, and the flow of people is very well regulated, so normally, about 10, 15 minutes is all it takes to enter the stadium and find your seats.

In all this time, I have never come across or heard of counterfeiting of tickets. Not even though the games are sellouts. Twice, however, I have encountered the problem of tickets being black-marketed -- in India. And I am told it continues to be a common occurrence, for all games.

Once I get to the stadium, I can expect shade everywhere, as the WACA organisers put up shamianas to protect patrons from the sun -- and this goes even for those with the cheapest tickets, who have to sit on the grass. Perth gets pretty hot in summer, going to around 45 degrees on hot days. Which is why this protection is a must. India is pretty hot too -- but protection? Forget it.

Within the stadium and around it, there are plenty of stalls selling food and drinks. There are also plenty of toilets, well maintained, clean, accessible.

For the disabled, there are ramps, to accomodate the needs of their wheelchairs. And yes, the entire stadium is smoke-free.

Even if I were on minimum wage, in Australia, I can go to any international match, at any venue, without bankrupting myself for life, I can have a good time, watch the game in comfort, and come away with good memories.

I think of all this and I wonder -- have the likes of A C Muthaiah and Jaywant Lele been to an Australian ground? If you have, can you see what the fans in India are missing out on? Or do you believe that it is only board officials and their privileged guests who have the right to enjoy a match in comfort? Despite the fact that you don't pay, and we do?

I wonder, Messers Muthaiah and Lele, if you have heard of a term called "client focus"? It is the sophisticated, business management jargon for "disdain", "contempt". And that is what the Indian cricket fan -- the one who pays exorbitant prices to get in to the stadium, to support his team despite the depressions of repeated defeat, the man whose presence brings the sponsors and helps you earn enough to travel in luxury -- gets from you.

We Indians, especially Indian cricket fans, are such a grateful lot, if you gave us a quarter of the facilities the Aussie patrons get, we would be over the moon.

But then, why do we deserve any better? We are happy watching the cricket. It does not matter to us that we stay hungry all day, as long as we can see Sachin rain sixes on us. It does not matter to us that we are crammed in like sardines as long as we can get a glimpse of Ganguly's magic.

We don't deserve better, because we love our cricket. We don't deserve better because we don't know how to complain, to ask for something better. We are like the quintessential Indian pativrat wife -- taken for granted, expected to be there, always, available for her husband to kick or caress as the mood takes him, and to accept it all in long-suffering silence.

But wake up, guys, the world is changing.

Women these days prefer SNAGs (sensitive new age guys) these days - even Indian women.

And it won't be long before Indian cricket fans begin demanding SNABs (sensitive new age boards).

You'll know the time is come, when you drive in to a stadium in India one of these days, walk into your cosy enclave, look around, and find the popular stands empty.

Or worse, when there is a riot. A revolt. Historically, people like us keep taking it all. Abuse. Contempt. Unconcern. And then comes the day when you hit us with that one straw too many...

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