‘Celebrity Cricket League’ kicks off today
There have been noticeable spectacles surrounding the Bangladesh national cricket team, ahead of the Cricket World Cup. From the mass media to the social media, discussions and criticism about it, are running amok. Many have even commented that 'will actors play the sport if cricketers are being wrapped up in the drama?'
Nonetheless, the country's showbiz stars are set to actually enter a cricket field since they will be participating in a league of their own, today.
The name of this event is the "Celebrity Cricket League". It is being held under the initiative of an organisation called GNext. A total of eight teams are participating in this cricket league in two parts. Lastly, all the players of every team are most certainly associated with showbiz.
The matches will be held at the Shaheed Suhrawardi Indoor Stadium in Mirpur. Group stage games will be held today. The tournament is scheduled to end on September 30, after conducting the days of semi-finals and final respectively.
The organisers of this league will begin with the slogan 'We want the World Cup', and they arranged for the entire event to encourage the Bangladesh team in the World Cup. In a message, they said, "Bangladesh has the ability to win the World Cup. Now all that is needed is the support of the country, which will encourage the players. All the stars have united together, with this belief too."
Giasuddin Selim, Salahuddin Lavlu, Shihab Shaheen, Chayanika Chowdhury, Dipankar Dipon, Sokal Ahmed, Mostafa Kamal Raz and Raihan Rafi are the captains of the eight teams in this league.
Each team has been assigned a former national cricketer as a mentor. Amongst these mentors are successful cricketers like Mohammad Ashraful, Rajin Saleh, Mehrab Hossain and Aftab Ahmed.
Every team will have 16 members including the captain. From that lot, eight of the players will take the field and at least two of those eight will have to be female stars.
The stars were given time to practice for the past few days. Everyone expressed hope for the victory of their respective teams. But alas the winning team will be revealed on September 30.
Amidst the stars who will partake in the eight teams, include, Chanchal Chowdhury, Afran Nisho, Tama Mirza, Apu Biswas, Siam Ahmed, Shamol Mawla, Mousumi Hamid, Irfan Sajjad, Samia Othoi, Pinto Ghosh, Zakia Bari Mamo, Mondera Chakroborty, Tawsif Mahbub, Mehazabien Chowdhury, Sariful Razz, Sabila Nur, Tasnia Farin, Nasir Uddin Khan, Arfin Rumey, Iresh Zaker, Rashed Mamun Apu, Pori Moni, Bobby Haque, Symon Sadik, Prarthana Fardin Dighi, Niloy Alamgir, Jannatul Sumaiya Heme, Yash Rohan, Bappy Chowdhury, Sallha Khanam Nadia, Manoj Pramanik, ABM Sumon, Toya, Parsa Evana, Ziaul Roshan, Sunerah Binte Kamal, Rafiath Rashid Mithila, Safa Kabir, Khairul Basar, Masha Islam, Tanzir Tuhin, Shajal, Tania Brishty, Jessia Islam and many more.
It has been known that the winning team will win a gift worth Tk 1 lakh and a trophy. The whole arrangement is mainly to encourage the national team and entertain the stars, said the people concerned.