A glittering ceremony under floodlights will mark the grand opening of ICC 9th
edition of Cricket World Cup at Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium about 220
kilometers from here in the evening today. 
More than a thousand performers, as part of over two and a
half-hour ceremony, will be demonstrating rich Caribbean culture in varied styles.
A record 16 teams will be featuring in the opening ceremony
while West Indian cricket legend Sir Garfield Sobers will be the chief
guest on the occasion with a galaxy of stars of Caribbean cricket attending
the ceremony.
President of International Cricket Council (ICC), Percy
Sonn, and dignitaries from across the world have arrived here to be the
part of the inaugural show.
Ricky Ponting will be leading defending champion Australia
in the arena with current world number one team while South Africa will be spearheaded
by Graeme Smith, 2003 runners-up India by Rahul Dravid, Pakistan by Inzamam
ul Haq, Sri Lankans by Mahela Jayawardene and Kiwis by Stephen Fleming in the march past.
Star attraction will be Brian Lara, who will be playing his
fifth successive World Cup alongside India's Sachin Tendulkar and Inzamam.
Other captains, leading their teams include Michael Vaughan
(England), Habib ul Bashar (Bangladesh), Irvine Romaine (Bermuda),
world cup's fastest century maker John Davison (Canada), Trent Johnston
(Ireland), Steve Tikolo (Kenya), LukVan Trost (Netherlands), Craig
Wright (Ireland) and Prosper Utseya (Zimbabwe).
It is for the first time that the game's prized tournament, comprising 51 matches
and lasting 49 days, is being held in the Caribbean. The final is played at
Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, April 28.
The opening game, between the West Indies and Pakistan at historic and recently
refurbished Sabina Park in Kingston, takes place on Tuesday.
India will take on Bangladesh in their opening match on March 17.
Fans from across India have sent their wishes to Team India for winning the
coveted cup. India had won the World Cup in 1983 under Kapil Dev and reached
the final in the last World Cup in South Africa under the captaincy of Sourav
Ganguly.
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