Locals boycott Australia-SAfrica Semifinal clash

Beausejour, St.Lucia, Apr 26 (UNI) With the home team already out and the growing public apathy towards the World Cup, the local cricket fans did not turn up in huge numbers to watch South Africa and Australia take on each other in the Semifinal clash.

Thankfully for the organisers, the stadium was filled up by fans who arrived in four cruise ships at this tiny port.

Among the many fans that came to support the Proteas, Ali Bacher, the man who oversaw the organization of the last World Cup in South Africa, was highly critical of the ticket prices and strict regulations for spoiling the 2007 tournament in the Caribbean.

Speaking to media just below the press box while watching South Africa lose to Australia in the semi-final, Bacher said he believed the majority of fans in the Caribbean were priced out of the event.

''The tickets have been just too high. For this match it's 120 dollars -- that's 1000 Rand,'' Bacher complained.

''In South Africa, we kept the prices low because we said we wanted the majority of people (watching) to be South Africans, not overseas people.

''That allowed us to have an average capacity over 54 matches of between 75 and 80 percent. I think the organisers here have definitely set their prices too high. These prices that we have here, that's a lot of money,'' Bacher added.

The stadium was occupied by thousands of fans wearing yellow and green t-shirts and barely 10 per cent of local spectators could actually afford to see the match.

UNI