Bangladeshis party at World Cup opening gala

DHAKA,  (Reuters) – Bangladeshis cast aside their  usual docile and reserved image yesterday and proudly  displayed their sporting passion at the gala opening ceremony of  the Cricket World Cup later in the capital.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy arrives on a rickshaw at the opening ceremony of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka yesterday.REUTERS/Andrew Biraj

The $30 million jamboree, jointly organised by the  International Cricket Council (ICC) and Bangladesh Cricket Board  (BCB), was opened by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after captains  from the 14 participating nations were paraded around the  Bangabandhu National Stadium on traditional cycle rickshaws.

Outside, on the often chaotic and jam-packed Dhaka roads,  traffic was relatively light with the government declaring  yesterday a half-day public holiday to allow people to watch the  dazzling opening ceremony.

“We feel greatly privileged to co-host the cricket
extravaganza in our beautiful country,” Hasina told the crowd.

Cricket captains from 14 participating teams pose with the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup trophy in Dhaka yesterday (top row, from L), Zimbabwe's Elton Chigumbura, New Zealand's Daniel Vettori, Pakistan Shahid Afridi, India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni, South Africa's Graeme Smith, England's Andrew Strauss, West Indies Darren Sammy. (Front row, from L) Canada's Ashish Bagai, Netherlands' Peter Borren, Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara, Australia's Ricky Ponting, Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan, Kenya's Jimmy Kamande and Ireland William Porterfield. REUTERS/Andrew Biraj

“I congratulate my cricket-loving countrymen for their great  enthusiasm and cooperation to make this event a grand success.

“Good luck to the players and I hope that fraternity among  the nations will further be strengthened through this World  Cup.”

The highlight of the two-hour spectacle was an aerial  cricket match, where high-flying acrobats hit and chased after a  laser-beamed ball against a vertical backdrop of a playing  pitch.

A mock intruder, suspended on an abseiling rope, even ran  across the ground to draw hoots of laughter from the 25,000  sell-out crowd.

A host of singers and dancers from the three host countries  were joined by Grammy award-winning Canadian singer Bryan Adams.

With his hair slicked back and sporting a black shirt, Adams  rocked the arena with a medley of his hits including the Summer  of 69.    It is the first time the country, which is slowly making a  mark in world one-day cricket if not the five-day test version,  has helped stage the showpiece event which will last from Feb 19  to April 2.

The country, whose population of more than 160 million has  suffered more than its fair share of natural disasters, is  jointly hosting with India and Sri Lanka and thoroughly enjoying  its rare moment in the sporting spotlight.

Dancers during the opening ceremony of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka yesterday. REUTERS/Andrew Biraj

“We will be able to improve our image if we can successfully  …. host the World Cup matches slated for us,” Mostafa Kamal,  president of Bangladesh Cricket Board, told reporters.

Bangladesh will stage the tournament’s opening match between  India and Bangladesh at Shere Bangla National Stadium in the  Mirpur area of Dhaka
tomorrow.

Six Group B matches and two quarter-final matches will be  played until March 25 in Dhaka and the main port city of  Chittagong.

Schools will remain closed on match days in Dhaka and  Chittagong, the government has decreed.

Huge replicas of cricket bats, balls, players and even  grounds have been erected at important road intersections in  Dhaka which, unlike several Indian cities, is awash with  reminders that the Cricket World Cup is here.

The city authorities have renovated the streets, painted the  road sides and footpaths and residents have festooned their  homes and neighbourhoods with cricket-themed decorations.

Cricket venues and important thoroughfares have been  specially illuminated at night and will continue to be lit up  throughout the six-week tournament to add to the carnival  atmosphere.

“Dhaka is looking very beautiful, ready and attractive,”  Basirah Alam, a New Zealand-based Bangladeshi who has returned  home on a visit to her parents.

Traffic and “unnecessary” movement of the public has been  restricted by the authorities which suited Abdul Mannan, a cab  driver of a big Dhaka hotel. “Driving is easy and there is no  hassle,” he said.

Despite the party mood, authorities were taking no chances  with security in a notoriously volatile region where memories of  the gun attack in Pakistan on the Sri Lankan cricket team bus in  2009 are still fresh.

That resulted in a ban by the ICC on Pakistan hosting  international matches which still endures. It was to have shared  the honour of hosting this World Cup.