By Baidurjo Bhose

Birmingham, Jul 11 (IANS): A big-ticket event is often the perfect breeding ground for black marketing as touts look to make the most of the opportunity to sell tickets at a higher price and make some quick buck. But in an effort to curb black marketing of match tickets, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has started a ‘return policy wherein fans can get a full refund if they return their tickets.

Speaking to IANS, a senior ICC official said that this was a little effort on the part of the international body to counter the nemesis of black marketing of match tickets, especially in the knockout games.

"See, to be honest, we cannot stop the whole process of black marketing of tickets. If an individual wants to buy a ticket from the official site or ticket counter outside a stadium and then decides to sell it at a higher rate, our hands are literally tied.

"But with this policy wherein fans can return the tickets and get a full refund, we at the ICC, are at least trying to give genuine fans an opportunity to return the match ticket and get their money back so that they don't sell their tickets at a higher price. After that it is clearly the call of the fans," the official said.

In fact, this very move saw quite a few Indian fans benefit ahead of the game against New Zealand at the Old Trafford in Manchester.

"You were right in seeing tickets being sold on the match day because we had quite a few non-Indian fans returning the ticket as they weren't expecting Virat Kohli and boys finish at the top of the points table at the end of the group stage," the official added.

Asked about the process in the return of the tickets, the official said: "It isn't necessary to physically return the ticket. Even if they drop in a mail to the ticket section of the ICC, the e-tickets and barcodes can be recreated and freshly issued to other people. Making the whole process simple is the main idea."