The cricket lovers thronged locations across the city to be a part of history as the ICC World Cup trophy was put on display for public viewing at different city spots yesterday. But the question on everyone's lips was whether it is a genuine one or a replica.
Many cricket-mad people were not only satisfied with watching the trophy but they also took the picture in their mobile phone and kissed the trophy during its journey across different spots at the city.
Hero Honda, an official global partner of the ICC, started the trophy's journey from Atlas Bangladesh (local distributor of Hero Honda) premises in the morning and handed the trophy over to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) after visiting a number of places.
The roadshow traveled through the city led by a team of Hero Honda Hunk.
When the trophy was kept at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium, BCB president AHM Mustafa Kamal became a part of the photo session.
“Definitely it's a different feeling. Hope we will be winner of this Cup in the future,” said Kamal.
And when a reporter doubted the originality of the trophy, the smiling BCB boss quipped: “When I held it, it felt like the original one”.
Many also raised the question because it seemingly was not the same to that which was unveiled in January last year at Dhaka. And many believed that it would not to be so easy to touch if it was an original one.
“I could not understand why they are playing hide and seek with the trophy. Everybody can understand that it's a replica and there is nothing wrong if you campaign with the replica for security reasons,” said a BCB official on condition of anonymity.
According to a BCB official another official sponsor, Pepsi, will hold the trophy from February 9-11 and use it for their commercial purposes and it will be in BCB custody from February 14 to February 16.
“We have some plans with the trophy which we will later disclose. The trophy will be displayed in the opening ceremony as well as during the opening match,” informed BCB's media committee chairman Jalal Yunus.
The mega opening ceremony will take place at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on February 17 and the opening match between India and Bangladesh will be held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on February 19.
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