There has not been much interest so far among the cricket fans to turn up at the ground to watch the ICC Under-19 World Cup matches, but the scenario is different in the tourist town of Cox’s Bazar. Here, people have been showing plenty of interest but they have no chance of entering the ground at the Sheikh Kamal International Stadium, where the first match will take place between Scotland and Namibia today before the home side’s two games on January 31 and February 2.
There is only one pavilion in the main ground with a total capacity of 1600, and the organisers issued passes for limited seats only for the high-up officials and special dignitaries in town. For security reasons the organisers were not ready to allow people to seat on the grass banks. In another ground in the big compound only 200 to 250 people can be accommodated, said venue manager Ratan Kumar Biswas.
Entering the gigantic arena, which has been newly developed on 80 acres of land leased from Cox’s Bazar Golf Course — with the stadium taking up almost 50 acres — one’s first impression would be that it can be one of the best destinations for cricket. As someone said yesterday it can be our Basin Reserve. The rest of the land will be used for academic buildings, hotels, gymnasiums and swimming pools.
An international standard cricket stadium had been a long-cherished dream of the people of the sea-side town and it was fulfilled by finance from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), but a lot more work will need to be done to make it a popular destination for cricket fans all over the world.
There are two playing grounds and one practice ground in the surrounding area and 36 pitches provide great practice facilities for cricketers. There was a promise of a complete sports complex; only time will tell if that will be realised.
The first match played here was a women’s one-day international between Bangladesh and Pakistan in March 2014. The venue is not a new one for the Bangladesh Under-19s as they won a three-match series against their South African counterparts and held a preparation camp here. Coach Mizanur Rahman however said that the only problem with the angular placement of the wickets is that it makes it difficult for the captain when it comes setting the field.
The hosting of the ICC Under-19 World Cup matches will definitely enhance the stature of the stadium but the common sentiment is that it will only make headlines worthy of its beauty when the Tigers play their games here.
