The wait has come to an end; the 2015 Cricket World Cup was declared open at Christchurch on 12th February. The opening ceremony was a total hit, which was packed with 120 minutes of extravaganza. More than one thousand performers performed; along with countries few selected musicians. Special performances from the musical fraternity included New Zealand Army band, Kiwi music stars, Hayley Westenra, Ginny Blackmore, and band Sole Mio. The ceremony was accredited by a few of the former New-Zealand players.
Opening Ceremony of the four yearly cricketing festival; World Cup 2015
The opening ceremony was witnessed by more than 2.5 million people across the 220 countries. In order to bring out the real ambiance four giant games of the backyard cricket was played by more than 80 children. The performance also included special performances from Sri Lankan dancers, along with Scottish Bagpipers. A performance was also put up by Irish dancers. Since India is also playing, and being the defending champions, Bollywood also made a mark by their performance at the 2015 Cricket World Cup opening ceremony. It was a very special day for Christchurch, as it was perceived as the “day of return to the world stage” by the Mayor of Christchurch, Lianne Dalziel. The age of bad luck ended on 12th February, which was presumed to have started three years ago when the city was struck by earthquake and the hosting rights of Rugby World Cup slipped from the hands of the Christchurch. A few New Zealand cricketers also made guest appearances. From former cricketers like Stephen Fleming to the present captain Brendon McCullum also made guest appearances throughout the cultural performance. If we go by the extent of applauses, then the current New Zealand skipper can be crowned as the star of the night.
The skipper of the Proteas told the fans that they are all prepared to take on the challenges which they will have to face during this journey of world cup 2015, and are very much promising that they will break the drought and will bring the cup home this time. Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lankan captain told the audience and rest of the world that they are focused and are looking forward to their opening match against the hosts, and also termed their match as a “tough contest”. The New Zealand captain appeared on the stage and also expressed his views about this cricketing extravaganza. He told that the pitches of Australia and New Zealand will produce pure match winners. He added by saying that all teams comprises of match winners. According to Brendon every team has players who can turn the table within 10-15 overs span.
The first match will be on Saturday, at the Ovals, which is hosting first class cricket matches from the year 1867. The stadium was renovated since the earthquake had struck Lancaster Park. At last the, there was a marvelous display of fireworks. As soon as the ceremony concluded, the visual treat started, coloring the black sky with light of almost all colors possible.
Tags: Christchurch, Cricket World Cup, CWC 2015, ICC, ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, India, New Zealand, Opening Ceremony, World Cup 2015
