Former Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for setting exorbitant ticket prices, resulting in near-empty stadiums during the highly anticipated India and Pakistan games in the 2023 Asia Cup.

Muralitharan expressed his concerns regarding the unreasonably high ticket prices and blamed PCB for it.

"It is the PCB who has decided the prices for these tickets as they are hosting the Asia Cup this year. Sri Lanka is currently going through a financial crisis. The ticket prices are really expensive and they were reduced at the last moment (just before the India vs. Pakistan match in Colombo) but it doesn't work that way. The ticket prices start from Sri Lankan Rupees 6000 and upwards. If you want to watch the match from the grandstands it is 40000 to 50000 Sri Lankan Rupees which is equivalent to a person's monthly salary. I don't think anyone can afford that much money in Sri Lanka," Muralitharan said.

Muralitharan emphasized that Sri Lanka typically has a passionate cricket fan base, but the high ticket costs prevented many from attending.

"In Sri Lanka, whenever there are matches there is always a full house in the stadium. People want to come and watch these matches but they can't afford such high-priced tickets. Even Sri Lanka vs. Bangladesh game which happened on Saturday didn't attract many people despite the home team being in action and doing well," he further added.

The 51-year-old further stated that the rain predictions ahead of the India and Pakistan Group A match also discouraged ticket purchases. 

"The league match between India and Pakistan ended up in a tie (no result) because of the rains. Perhaps, it was because of the rain prediction that people don't want to take a chance. Also, there was some confusion regarding the venue (from Colombo to Hambantota) of the Super 4 matches and the final. People will be apprehensive to come forward and buy tickets," he concluded.

The Asia Cup 2023 initially faced logistical challenges due to India's reluctance to play in Pakistan, leading the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to adopt a hybrid model with some matches in Pakistan and others in Sri Lanka. However, the steep ticket prices in Sri Lanka refrained fans from attending, even for India and Pakistan matches.