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Wills International Cup countdown
By Zahid Newaz in Dhaka
6 October 1998
The latest news in the buildup to the Wills International Cup, with 18
days remaining till the start:
- Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the Wills
International Cup Cricket in a simple ceremony on October 24. Hasina
herself is known as a cricket fan. She will inaugurate the tourney at
the stadium named after her assassinated father and country's
independence leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
- Pakistan World Cup Champions team captain Imran Khan is expected
to join the former veterans congregation to be present in Dhaka during
the first-ever knock out world cup tourney. He will be accompanied by
his wife Jemima Khan. Imran is considered as most popular cricketer in
Bangladesh. However, another popular cricketer Sunil Gavaskar is not
coming.
- Zimbabwe will be first team to arrive Dhaka for the biggest
cricketing event to be staged in Bangladesh. They are expected to
reach on October 17. The following day, England and New Zealand teams
are expected. Bangladesh will play two one-day against two of the
three test-playing teams.
- South African expert Phil Russell is again expected in Bangladesh
next week to watch the last minute condition of the wickets. Local
organisers wished to keep him in Dhaka until the tournament is ended
on November 2.
- Bangabandhu National Stadium will accommodate 35,727 crowd for a
match of the Wills Cup. But there will be no seat number for 30,000
ordinary spectators in the gallery.
- Finance Minister Shah AMS Kibria will inaugurate the newly
installed floodlight and electronic scoreboard at Bangabandhu Stadium
on October 12. The inaugural will be followed by a practice match also
be witnessed by Event Manager Asif Iqbal. All the matches of the Wills
Cup will be day-night.
- Bangladesh has taken the mini-world cup as an opportunity for
promoting tourism. For the purpose, country's thousand-year old
culture and tourist places will be highlighted in electronic media
throughout the tournament.
Source: CricInfo365
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