Tough time for media at World Cup opening ceremony

The internet was irregular, the television sets in the media box did not work, and covering the Cricket World Cup opening ceremony turned a nightmarish experience for the scribes who gathered at the Bangabandhu National Stadium here Thursday.

With internet connections snapping repeatedly, the organisers attributed the flaw to the lines being jammed to ensure fool-proof security for Bangladesh Prime Minister Shaikh Hasina.

With the LCD television sets also conking out time and again, the journos could hardly follow the speeches of Sheikh Hasina and Internaional Cricket Council (ICC) president Sharad Pawar. However, a written copy of Hasina's speech given later to the mediapersons proved to be the saving grace.

Though it is a routine at such cultural extravaganzas, no written material explaining various parts of the ceremony was given to the press.