By Shruti Bhardwaj:
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is set to be one of the most exciting events in the history of the event, with the new quarter-final format set to create a fascinating finish to the tournament. 14 teams will take part in the tournament with games set to be broadcast to a global audience in over 180 territories and followed by millions on the internet, mobile and other media.
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup will be the tenth cricket world cup and will be co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. It will be Bangladesh’s first time co-hosting a cricket World Cup. World cup was also to be co-hosted by Pakistan, but in the wake of the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket team in Lahore, ICC were forced to strip Pakistan of its hosting rights. The headquarters of the organizing committee were originally situated in Lahore, but have now been shifted to Mumbai. Pakistan was supposed to hold 14 matches, including one semi-final. Eight of Pakistan’s match have been awarded to India, four of Sri Lanka and two to Bangladesh. The opening ceremony of world cup 2011 will be held in Dhaka on February 17, 2011 while Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium has been given a through overhaul to host the finals of the Cricket World Cup. The first match of the tournament will be played on February 19, 2011 with co-hosts India and Bangladesh facing off at the Sher-e-Bangla National stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka.
Cricket World Cup 2011 will be contested by 14 teams including 4 time winner Australia, 2 time winner West Indies, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Netherlands, Canada, Ireland, England and Kenya. The teams are divided into two groups. In the group stage, each team will play against all other teams of the group exactly once. The top four teams from each group according to the point earned in the league stage will move to the knock-out stage of the tournament. The format ensures that each team gets to play a minimum of 6 matches even if they are ruled out of the tournament due to early defeat.
“Stumpy” is the official mascot of the tournament. Stumpy is a 10 year old elephant who is very young, enthusiastic and is determined. On the other hand, De Ghuma Ke is the official song of the World Cup composed by the trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. It has been sung by Shankar Mahadevan and Divya Kumar. It incorporates an array of Indian rhythms, as well as elements of rock and hip-hop.
The winning team will be awarded with 60 meter high trophy cup crafted in silver and gilt, features a golden globe held aloft by three silver columns along with prize money of US$ 3 million. The tournament has created some of the most memorable moments in the history of the sports and in a country like India where Cricket is not just a game but religion for many, people is expecting a lot more from the Indian Cricket team.
Thus, fever of cricket world cup 2011 is ready to create mania in the land of Indian subcontinent. And this time it is not just a tournament rather it is an event of hope, happiness, expectation, wishes, blessings and victory.