This year’s ICC World Cup, the biggest celebration of cricket, witnessed a star-studded start as prominent faces from different walks of life joined the opening ceremony
Ahead of the ICC World Cup, the 10 national captains, former players, and celebrities joined the opening ceremony on Wednesday.
The event was held at The Mall in the city of Westminster, Central London.
Former English cricketer Kevin Pietersen, Indian anchor Shibani Dandekar, and English comedian Paddy McGuinness hosted the event.
Along with a picture of excited fans, the ICC tweeted, “The fans are readying themselves for the start of the #CWC19 Opening Party!” Over 4000 fans arrived at the event.
Ahead of the opening ceremony, team captains from the 10 participating nations were photographed with Queen Elizabeth II.
Gearing Up for the World Cup
Captain of the Indian cricket team, Virat Kohli bagged the biggest cheer as he shared his views ahead of the World Cup.
The Indian Captain said, “It’s lovely to be here. We have such a huge fan base in England. The amount of people travelling from home as well. It’s great to see at every stadium we play at, at least 50 per cent of the crowd is Indian fans.”
He added, “For us, that’s a thing of pressure but a thing of pride as well. Hopefully, we have got to use to the crowd support to our advantage.”
English Captain Eoin Morgan said, “Hopefully, we will be great hosts and hopefully we will do everybody proud.”
Opening against South Africa, Morgan added, “[Thursday], obviously is going to be a very exciting day for me.” India is scheduled to play against South Africa on June 5.
Noble Prize winner Malala Yousafzai represented Pakistan at The Mall. Former cricketer Anil Kumble and Indian actor Farhan Akhtar represented India at the opening ceremony.
The Nobel laureate reinforced her support for women in sport. She said, “Right now we are seeing more and more women taking part in sporting activities.”
Further adding, “Women should engage more in sports and we all have to contribute to that and encourage women and girls.”
India’s veteran cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar will be making his on-air expert debut on Thursday.
Tendulkar will host a segment, titled ‘Sachin Opens Again’, on the Philips Hue Cricket Live pre-show. Accomplished cricketers will join the Indian cricket star as a panel of experts.
The opening match of the 2019 World Cup, hosted by Wales and England, begins today.
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