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The opening ceremony of the ninth Cricket World Cup was taking place here at Trelawny Stadium in Jamaica on Sunday at around 7.15pm local time. It will be 4:15 in the morning in Pakistan on Monday (today).West Indies legend Sir Garfield Sobers has been chosen to officially open the tournament, which is being staged in the Caribbean for the first time.

The ceremony will begin at 2215 GMT, the centrepiece of which will be a show entitled West Indian Energy. It will feature over 2,000 singers, dancers and other performers who have been rehearsing for three months.

Rupee, Shaggy and Fayann Lyons will perform the World Cup’s official song, The Game of Love and Unity, and veteran reggae star Jimmy Cliff is among the artists on the bill.

The ceremony has a lot to live up to after the colourful £2m celebration in Cape Town four years ago, but at two and three quarter hours in length will exceed it by 45 minutes.

Those attending the ceremony at the 25,000 capacity stadium have been advised to arrive early and to car pool if possible in order to limit congestion in the area.

The choice of Sobers to open the tournament was “befitting of the greatest cricketer the world has ever seen”, according to Chris Dehring, the managing director of ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.

“It is because of legends like Sir Garry that today we have the opportunity to host this event,” he added.

A former all-rounder and West Indies captain, Sobers scored more than 8,000 runs and took 235 wickets in 93 Tests before retiring in 1974, just one year before the first World Cup took place.

He was knighted for his services to cricket in 1975 and was named as one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the 20th century in its 2000 edition.

The first match of the tournament, between West Indies and Pakistan, will take place in Kingston on Tuesday (tomorrow).

In all, 16 teams will play a total of 51 matches at grounds spread around nine different Caribbean nations, with the final in Barbados on April 28.
Source:The News

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