The Oval, London: It’s going to be my seventh World Cup as a journalist, but the level of excitement is still no less as I walked into the media centre of The Oval in London – where hosts England and South Africa will set the ball rolling for the 12th edition of the showpiece on Thursday.
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Over the next 45 days, I will be crisscrossing the length and breadth of England to catch the action live for Gulf News readers and bring the sights and sounds around the event with videos, social media – all the works.
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Follow my daily World Cup Diary here…
– K.R. Nayar, Chief Cricket Writer, Gulf News###
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Wednesday, May 29:
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The Oval all dressed up to usher in the showpiece
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Walking into the Oval Cricket Ground also evokes a special feeling – it is like diving into a book on cricket history. In every nook and corner of this stadium, there is a feel of the history of the game and stadium authorities have ensured that the history of this ground is projected well.
There was a long queue to collect my accreditation badge for this World Cup. It was a special moment for me being my seventh World Cup that I will be reporting. When I reached the collection window, the lady at the counter said that my accreditation had already been collected!
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It felt similar to those who may have turned up to vote in the election in India and were told that their vote had already been cast. However, the lady quickly solved the problem stating that it was a slip of the eye and then presented me with a lovely World Cup bag that has the World Cup 2019 cap.
###Entrance to the Oval ground all decked up.
Image Credit: K.R. Nayar/Gulf News###Cricketers feel special when they receive their Test cap or the One Day International Cap; the same applies to journalists when they get the souvenir cap. I had carried with me the 2015 World Cup cap that I received in Australia, and it was exciting to have both the caps on and take a selfie.
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Today, the Oval looked even more beautiful than before since it has been dressed up for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019’s first match between England and South Africa tomorrow. It was a festive atmosphere in and around the ground. Food trucks kept coming in to position themselves at their allotted places. Though the opening match does not figure India, a truck named ‘Goody Gujarati’ offering Indian food is among the range of food stalls. Another prominent one will be selling the famous British ‘fish and chips’.
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On the way to the press conference room is a wall describing the history of the Oval. Among the interesting reads are the one that shows when the first Test match was played here from September 6-8, 1880, between England against Australia, and another one on how the Ashes series began from 1882.
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England had lost to Australia in a low scoring match at this venue when a newspaper called The Sporting Times stated that English cricket had died and its body would be cremated, and the Ashes to be taken to Australia. Very soon, a slot indicating that ICC Cricket World Cup 2019’s first match was played here will also find its place on the walls of this historic stadium.
###Here's the 2015 World Cup cap (right) which I worn in Australia, along with the brand new 2019 one (left).
Image Credit: K.R. Nayar/Gulf News