Our part of WC ends
Finally the curtain has fallen on the ICC world cup extravaganza in Dhaka. With the third quarter final match between mighty Proteas and the Black Caps finishing on the wires, the World Cup itinerary in Bangladesh is well and truly over.
Without dwelling on our teams performances, we can say that the way we hosted our part of the tournament is cause for gratification for us and appreciation from our guests.
The organizing bodies and the members have successfully held the event with no major hiccups. The grand opening ceremony on February 17 at the Bangabandhu Stadium earned highest felicitation from all over the world. The striking display of light and sound kindled the hearts of cricket lovers the world over. Dhaka and Chittagong wore festive looks. Facilities and security provided to the players, distinguished guests, foreign visitors and the locals have been up to the mark even meeting international standards.
Match venues were no less gorgeous with all state-of-the-art facilities. The overwhelming response of the people of all ages, their appreciation of good cricket and their overall disciplined behaviour were marks of maturity. People's hospitality was praised by the guests and the players alike.
The only shortcoming was observed in the area of ticketing and ticket sales. There have been complaints that normal channels did not work efficiently as people had to undergo strains for getting tickets queuing up for hours together in front of the selling banks. Tickets slipped into the black market and sold at exorbitant prices. This shouldn't have happened.
It heartens to note that Bangladesh, as a co-host of ICC World Cup has played its part with passion, efficiency and management skill. This should encourage us to hold many more international sporting events.
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