Wills International Cup Sidelights (21 October 1998)

England and Zimbabwe teams, in Bangladesh capital since Sunday to participate in the Wills International Cup, will play a practice match at the Savar BKSP ground Wednesday

21-Oct-1998

21 October 1998

Wills International Cup Sidelights

By Zahid Newaz in Dhaka

England and Zimbabwe teams, in Bangladesh capital since Sunday to participate in the Wills International Cup, will play a practice match at the Savar BKSP ground Wednesday. England will play another practice match against Bangladesh at the same venue on Friday. Wednesday's practice match seemed doubtful due to the weather condition Tuesday, but BCB president Saber Hossain Chowdhury said the BKSP confirmed him in the evening that the ground was still fit to start the match on time. If the weather condition were to deteriorate further in Tuesday night and the field becomes unplayable, then tomorrow's match will be postponed but the two teams will make indoor-practice at the BKSP.

South African Phil Russell, the pitch curator of the Banghabandhu National Stadium, left Dhaka Tuesday. He arrived here one week back to check the wickets. Talking to sports reporters at the Stadium ground, Russell said the pitch and the ground are absolutely well. Replying to a question, he said the pitch is not hampered by the kind of rain experienced Tuesday. Two big covers will reach the capital soon to save the pitch and its surroundings, Russel added.

Six international cricket umpires and match referees arrive Dhaka Wednesday to conduct the Wills Cup beginning October 24 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. Of the six, three match referees are Raman Subba Row (England), Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka) and E Isaac. The three umpires are Peter Willey (England), Srinivas Venkataraghavan (India) and Steve Bucknor (West Indies). However, Steve Dunne of New Zealand will be the first umpire who was due to reach the capital Tuesday night alongside the 19-member New Zealand team, led by Stephen Fleming. Bucknor and Willey will conduct the inaugural match between New Zealand and Zimbabwe while Shepherd will act as TV umpire and Subba Row as the match referee.

Thirteen officials and crew of WorldTel, the telecast authority of the tournament, will arrive in the capital Wednesday in addition to the eight who came earlier.

A high level meeting Tuesday night okayed the foolproof security measures taken for the Wills International Cup Cricket beginning October 24. The follow-up meeting reviewed the measures already taken and are to be applied for the tourney for highest security of all concerned. The meeting expressed total satisfaction after elaborate discussion for more than one and half hour on every points of security and after reviewing everything. Some 2,000 security personnel will be guarding the capital city during the biggest ever cricket carnival till November 2 that will feature all the nine test-playing countries. Additional Inspector General of Police Nurul Alam Chowdhury, who is chief of the Special Branch of Police and chairman of the tourney's security committee, presided over the meeting.

Source :: CricInfo365