DHAKA, 16 March 2007 — A Bangladeshi firm has sent what they say is the world’s biggest cricket bat on a signature tour to drum up support for the national team at the Caribbean World Cup, a company official said yesterday.

The 70-foot (22-meter) long and eight-foot wide bat has been signed by thousands since its began its nationwide journey from the northern city of Rangpur on Wednesday, said Tariq bin Azam, public relations manager of Akiz Group.

“It’s the world’s biggest bat and we hope to gather at least one million signatures wishing good luck to the Bangladesh cricket team in the World Cup,” he said.

He added that the bat was bigger than one made by an Indian company for the last World Cup in 2003. The firm said the signing tour would end on March 23 at the southern city of Cox’s Bazar. Bangladesh launches its third World Cup campaign starting tomorrow against India in Trinidad and Tobago. The team scored a upset victory over powerful New Zealand in a warm up match and maintained a winning record in the run-up to the World Cup.

Pakistan Bowling Coach

Mushtaq Breaks Nose

In Kingston, Jamaica, Pakistan’s bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed, a former international leg-spinner, was taken to hospital yesterday with a suspected broken nose.

Mushtaq was hurt during World Cup fielding practice. “Mushtaq was hit by a throw which hurt his forehead and nose. He is in hospital and we are waiting for X-ray reports,” Pervez Mir, the Pakistan media manager, told AFP. Pakistan, who lost their opening match to the West Indies on Tuesday, face Ireland in their next game tomorrow.

Rain Forecast for Remainder

of Group A Matches

In Basseterre, St. Kitts, rain, which interrupted Australia’s opening World Cup Group A match against Scotland for half an hour on Wednesday, is forecast for each remaining day of the first round in St. Kitts.

A 10-day forecast released yesterday said there was at least a 30 percent chance of showers every day until the final match between Australia and South Africa on March 24.

Showtime to Provide

11 Air Tickets

In Dubai, when Indian cricketer Sreesanth wins each wicket in the world Cup, Snowhite show room in the UAE will be providing 11 air tickets to India for the needy expatriates through the Indian Community Welfare Committee in Dubai. This was declared at a press conference yesterday held at Crown Plaza in Dubai. “We will give these tickets to the needy Indians in the UAE. Many people, destitute woman, injured labors and patients, have been approaching us everyday for tickets to India” Indian Consul B.S. Mubarak told Arab News.

“We have more humanitarian assistance plans, said Hiroo D Vassanani, the managing director of Snowhite, the Gulf’s largest men’s wear showroom chain, which has 30 outlets in the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. “We hope other companies will follow these type of humanitarian assistance” Mubarak added. Snowhite sources said that Sreesanth will be arriving in the UAE to inaugurate the distribution of air tickets.

— K.T. Abdurabb