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Under-19 World Cup 2004

The World Championships of enthusiasm

Rabeed Imam in Dhaka

February 10, 2004

How big is the Under-19 World Cup, really? Well, whatever its reputation or importance might have been in the past, yesterday's opening ceremony at the Bangabandhu National Stadium might just have changed its image forever.

It was a systematic, rhythmic, tasteful and spectacular show. The youth of 16 nations were paraded in front of a packed stadium, serenaded by traditional dancers and addressed by a host of VIPs. Bangladesh's Prime Minister was in attendance, the sports minister as well, and as for the ICC contingent, it seemed they had practically shifted their headquarters to Dhaka. If the president Ehsan Mani walked past you one minute, you wouldn't bet against stumbling into the chief executive Malcolm Speed next.

Mani was not exaggerating when he declared to the massed attendance that this would be the biggest U19 World Cup ever. Matches are to be played at more venues and in front of bigger crowds than ever before in the event's history, and with several current international players set to take part - including the West Indian fast bowler, Ravi Rampaul, and three Bangladeshis in Nafis Iqbal, Talha Jubair and Enamul Haque - the standard of cricket will certainly be high.

If World Championships were awarded for sheer enthusiasm, nowhere on earth could rival Bangladesh. Where else would you find 40,000 people buying tickets on the black market to turn up for the opening ceremony of a previously overlooked U19 tournament? And where else will you see tickets for matches involving the likes of Papua New Guinea and Uganda sold out a week in advance?

"It's amazing. I even saw newspapers reporting the arrival of Nepal!" exclaimed Jon Long, the ICC's media manager. But, as always happens in Bangladesh, the organisers have managed to catch the last train. Even three months ago, everything appeared to be in total chaos. Cows and goats were roaming freely on grounds nominated for hosting matches. Construction works at the new venues were drifting past their completion deadline. All the committees and sub-committees were behind schedule and yet, somehow everything has come together just at the final hour.

There was certainly something different about the National Stadium. Anyone who's been to Dhaka knows about the sprawling market that strangulates the ground like a vicious Boa. Sometimes finding an entry point can become more puzzling than a jigsaw, as the shops and shoppers really dominate the proceedings here. But on Tuesday, probably for the first time in the history of the stadium, all the shutters were down, and the homeless and the hawkers had been cleared away. Clean and orderly, it was the national stadium like you had never seen it before.

There's nothing like watching teenagers having fun and that's exactly what is happening at the various hotels. And that joy of youth is rubbing off on the team officials as well, as was abundantly clear at the press conferences.

Scotland's coach Willie Morton appeared ready to forget cricket for a while and enjoy the weather instead. "For the first time in five months it's nice to see the sun come out in all its glory," he said. "Because at the moment most parts of Scotland are covered in deep snow." Meanwhile Australia's manager, Brian Freedman, was ruing the absence of one vital ingredient that could have made his team `complete'. "We have a Sri Lankan, a Portuguese, a Greek and a Filipino. Our coach is German and the captain is English by birth. There's just an Aboriginal missing!"

The venues look great, the opening show was awesome and even the 64-page official souvenir brochure was ready for distribution to the guests and media, even though printing only began last week. Already there's talk of hosting the World Cup in the near future ... but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Rabeed Imam is senior sub-editor at the Daily Star in Dhaka.

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