Enthusiasm all over
Bishwajit Roy
The cream of youth cricket assembled in Bangladesh to find out who will be the best. But with the real battle still five days away the mood of the young combatants was upbeat. And anybody who visited the otherwise tranquil Hotel Purbani or Hotel Isa Khan on Monday would be pleasantly surprised by the amount of enthusiasm, energy and excitement generated by the players and officials of the 16 participating teams for the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup. "I am really excited seeing the festive mood here. The game is not a popular one in my country but I like it anyway and love to hit the ball," said Irish batsman Gary Wilson at the lobby of Purbani in the afternoon. While Ireland, an associate member of the world cricket body, has come with a mission to have fun rather than having any serious title ambitions, defending champions Australia mean business as usual. "Michael Clarke was the captain when we played the second youth World Cup in Sri Lanka. He is now a regular in the one-day line up. Our task here is not only to retain the title but also find some more new faces for the senior team," smiled Australian team manager Brian Freedman. He also highlighted the fact that his team was both multi-talented and multi-cultural as well. "Interestingly we have a Sri Lankan, a Portuguese, a Greek and Filipino-born player. Also our coach is a German and captain English by birth. So there is a diverse cultural dimension in the squad," Freedman quipped. The witty Aussie, however, admitted that they missed the thing that symbolizes his country apart from Kangaroos -- an Aboriginal. Australian coach Bennett King, who also heads the renowned Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy, said that his concern was the subcontinent weather. But Adam Crosthwaite, the lone player to have featured in the in last youth World Cup in New Zealand, was determined to beat that odd like the all-conquering senior team. "I'm confident of retaining the trophy despite the fact that it would not be suitable conditions like in New Zealand," said the top-order batsman. But Sri Lankan coach DS De Silva felt Dhaka was a home away from home. He said that he had brought along some exciting players. "We are carrying at least six players who have the potential to play at the highest level in future. We have undertaken an extensive preparation to win the title for the first time," said Silva. The English players on the other hand were quick to get a feel of the Bangabandhu National Stadium, where the senior members played recently. They were overwhelmed by the size of the big bowl and were impressed watching the dress rehearsal for the opening ceremony, which will take place today.
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