DHAKA: The upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup trophy will arrive in Bangladesh on July 25.
A press release on Thursday said that the prestigious silverware will be displayed here for two days and during its stay, the trophy will feature at a number of events.
Bangladesh’s first match is against qualifier Afghanistan at Manuka Oval, Canberra, on February 18, 2015 while the World Cup Cricket-2015 is scheduled to start from February 14, it added.
Australia and New Zealand are jointly hosting the biggest festival of world cricket this year.
The press release said that the trophy will visit countries that will participate in the World Cup while the first stopover of the trophy will be Sri Lanka on July 4.
Sri Lanka will feature in the opening match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 when it will go head to head with co-host New Zealand in Christchurch.
The trophy will also visit India on July 19. India is the reigning world champion and will play 1992 winner Pakistan in its opening match in Adelaide on 15 February.
However, after visiting 12 countries over four months, the trophy will arrive in Melbourne on November 6 in time for the 100 days to go celebrations, details of which will be announced in due course.
Mentioning to hold the Cricket World Cup trophy is the dream of every cricketer ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said that the upcoming World Cup will be a great opportunity to watch your team take on the world's best and enjoy the hospitality of two beautiful but very different countries.
“It is significant that the trophy is beginning its journey from Dubai, not only because it has been the home of the ICC since 2005, but also because the UAE has qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1996," he added.
The current trophy was created for the 1999 champion, Australia, and was the first permanent prize in the tournament's history. Prior to this, different trophies were made for each ICC Cricket World Cup.
The trophy was designed and produced in London by a team of craftsmen from Garrard & Co over a period of two months.
It is made from silver and gilt, and features a golden globe held up by three silver columns.
The columns, shaped as stumps and bails, represent the three fundamental aspects of cricket: batting, bowling and fielding, while the globe represents a cricket ball.
The trophy stands 60cm high and weighs approximately 11kg. The names of the previous winners are engraved on the base of the trophy, with space for a total of twenty inscriptions.
BDST: 0110 HRS, JULY 04, 2014
