Former England captain Michael Vaughan has termed thousands of unsold tickets at Lord’s for this summer’s opening fixture between England and New Zealand “embarrassing for the game”, and added that had the tickets not been exorbitantly priced, the Home of Cricket would be packed to the rafters.

England’s opening Test against the Kane Williamson-led Black Caps—the World Test champions—from June 2, could see thousands of empty seats despite the fact that Ben Stokes begins his new era as the home team skipper and the match being designated as Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Test.