Ctg impresses ICC delegates
Chittagong's dream of hosting 2011 World Cup matches received a boost yesterday following positive reaction from an International Cricket Council (ICC) delegation.
The Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Divisional Stadium (ZACDS) in the port city is tipped to stage at least two first round matches of the next World Cup to be jointly hosted by Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.
An eleven-member delegate of the ICC visited the venue and after an extensive inspection of the ground and other facilities they expressed their satisfaction.
"The members of the team looked at everything they were assigned to including the pitch, logistics and media facilities, and we hope that the event will be a fantastic one," said ICC's communication officer Samiul Hasan, adding that the objective of their visit was to share information.
BCB's senior vice-president Mahbubul Anam said the visiting ICC team expressed by and large their contentment over the condition of the venue and suggested us few things to make up in time.
"We hope that the venue will not be dropped from the final list that will be announced on November 9 in Mumbai along with the fixtures of the World Cup," informed Mahbub, who is also the convener of the World Cup Central Organising Committee.
"In a slide show, we showed and apprised them the present condition and future plans regarding the venue that will be implemented before the World Cup starts," he added. The opening ceremony of the biggest cricket spectacle will take place at Dhaka's Bangabandhu National Stadium on February 17.
The ICC delegates also visited the MA Aziz Stadium that is earmarked as a practice venue and then went to resorts at Foy's Lake, Hotel Peninsula and Hotel Agrabad to assess the accommodation facilities.
General secretary of Chittagong Divisional Krira Sangstha (CDKS) Sirajuddin Mohammad Alamgir told The Daily Star that the ICC team left the port city with a very good impression about the ground and other facilities.
"We are looking forward to seeing cricket fans and organisers of Chittagong during the World Cup," Alamgir said quoting a member on the ICC inspection team.
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