Culture, colour and fireworks as Under-19 cricket opens

DHAKA: Traditional dances, colourful calisthenics and spectacular fireworks lit up yesterday’s opening ceremony of the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in the Bangladeshi capital. Sixteen countries, including the ten Test-playing nations and six associate members of the International Cricket Council, are participating in the Under-19 tournament. The biennial tournament, which started in 1988, is a major event for the world’s best young cricketers to showcase their talents. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia formally inaugurated the tournament, which lasts from February 15 to March 5 and will be played at six venues. ICC President Ehsan Mani, Chief Executive Malcolm Speed and other ICC officials also attended the ceremony.

The teams will have five days to acclimatise and play warm-up matches, before host Bangladesh meets New Zealand at the tournament opener on February 15 at Dhaka’s Bangabandhu National  Stadium. Current Under-19 champions Australia are grouped with Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Canada in Pool “A”. The teams will play their matches in northern Rajshahi and Bogra towns. South Africa, England, Nepal and Uganda share Pool “B” and play in the southern port city of Chittagong. Bangladesh are in Pool “C” with India, New Zealand and Scotland, and will meet in Dhaka and nearby Narayanganj town.

The West Indies, Pakistan, Ireland and Papua New Guinea are in Pool “D”, that will play in southern Khulna city. The pool matches will be held from February 15 to 20. The top eight teams from the pool stage will compete in a super league from February 22-27, with the final on March 5. The bottom eight teams, meanwhile, will play for a consolation trophy. The Under-19 World Cup is the second major international cricket event hosted by Bangladesh following the 1998 ICC Knockout Tournament, which has now been renamed the Champions  Trophy and is dubbed the mini-World Cup. New Zealand hosted the last Under-19 World Cup in January-February 2002, when Australia beat South Africa by seven wickets in the final.