Surrey chief executive excited by supporters returning to Oval and also wants to host IPL matches

BY MARCUS HOOK

Surrey chief executive Richard Gould is not only looking forward to welcoming cricket fans back into the Oval on May 20, but also hopes the famous ground can play host to teams from the Indian Premier League.

“We are so looking forward to the return of fans,” said Gould. “We’ll have 25 per cent back in for a championship match – which equates to 4,500 to 5,000 – and the uptake has been extremely strong.

“Thereafter, on June 21, we are hoping we can open up fully, along with the rest of the country, and demand for T20 tickets is extraordinary.

“We’ve got the road map. So far we’ve got through as a country, all the various hurdles, and we see absolutely no reason why cricket cannot open up with the rest of the country with effect from June 21.

“I’ve been at the Kia Oval for 10 years now and I have never seen this level of demand (for tickets). All of our international games are sold out, the Blast is selling well and The Hundred is also selling well.

“There is a real keenness for people to come back. So, the appetite is very strong and the expectation is really strong too.

“Financially, it’s been a struggle for everyone. For supporters it’s been very difficult. We haven’t had crowds back in to cricket grounds for nearly two years now, so it’s been a long time. But I’ve been astounded by the loyalty shown by cricket supporters and our members. They’ve stood by their clubs and they’re just waiting for us to spring back into action.”

Gould confirmed that the possibility of the Oval staging IPL matches next year is also being explored.

“We saw with the World Cup two years ago and the Champions Trophy before that, that there is such a huge amount of support and there’s a great legacy for us to build on,” said Gould.

“We saw incredible numbers coming through – Bangladeshi fans and Indian fans – and we know the international schedules are tight. But we think there’s the ability for domestic international teams to come and play here, much as we see with American sports in London.

“Basically, there’s an open invitation and we would like to see if we can bring Indian teams, Bangladeshi teams and Pakistani teams to London and other cities in this country.

“The IPL has been played outside India, sometimes by necessity, and in terms of expanding the reach. If it helps us to bring Indian supporters into our grounds it will be a win-win. That’s our hope.

“I think it’ll take some time, because the IPL clearly have their own challenges. So, it may be baby steps, but we would very like to see some of those teams coming and playing here.”