Frenetic construction work is underway at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong as hundreds worked overtime to prepare the venue to host the first practice match in the lead-up to the World Cup between hosts Bangladesh and Canada today.
Bricks are being laid on the approach road to the stadium, even as a new coat of paint is being put on the outer walls. Outside it is all a cacophony of noise that hints at the amount of work that is being put into the last-minute preparations.
Inside though, the two groups of cricketers toiling on the lush green under the sun, are seemingly oblivious to the work going on outside. They are readying themselves for a test for today, as the first warm-up match of the World Cup will be played between Bangladesh and Canada.
The match, scheduled to start today at 2:30pm local time, bears a special significance for both sides. For Bangladesh it is a chance to lay the ghost from seven years back to rest. The Tigers were shockingly beaten on February 11, 2003 in South Africa by their North American counterparts in their only meeting so far. For the Canadians though, the match is an opportunity to learn, to improve, and if possible surprise again.
In front of the stadium’s ticket collection booth, thousands of cricket fans cheered as they got hold of their prized possession.
Thousands were cheering in the capital too, in front of the Banani branch of the City Bank, after they too managed to exchange their vouchers for tickets for the World Cup matches. But it was not all smiles. A few thousand fans who had been queuing up from dawn, were left exasperated as the slow pace of progress saw them leave empty handed for the day.
The World Cup hype was further heightened later at night as the perennial dark horses and well-supported Pakistan landed at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The unpredictable Pakistanis, led by all-rounder Shahid Afridi touched down at around 8:10 pm and made their way straight to the Sheraton hotel.
On the back of a Test and ODI series victory over New Zealand, the Pakistanis will be hoping they have put the match-fixing controversy behind and concentrate on their preparation for the World Cup which will start with the warm-up match against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on February 15.
