Melbourne: Cricket fans from the UAE have arrived here for the World Cup. Dubai Cricket Council’s top official Shiva Pagarani, the team owner for Yogi Group in which UAE’s star batsman Swapnil Patil plays, is here. So is Gopal Jasapara, the renowned coach from G Force Cricket Academy in Dubai.
Jasapara is here with some of the domestic cricketers to play a few matches after the India-South Africa match. Captains of Al Jabeen, Golden Tower, Carfare and Dubai umpire Suneej Tottathil are also here and they will play teams like the Richmond Cricket Club, Geoolong Club and Plenty Valley in the next week, while Pagarani will fly to support the UAE team in Perth.
UAE Under-19 star player Shorye Chopra, who now studies in Melbourne University, also took a break to come for the India-SA match. Speaking to Gulf News, Chopra said: “I have been waiting for this match. I play here for the University team and recently scored 88 in a one-day match.” Clad in the India flag, he joined the supporters from UAE.
The day before the match, cricketers were expected to retire for the night early. However, Melbourne kept them awake on Saturday night with the city celebrating the White Night festival that is modelled on the hugely successfully Paris Nuit Blanche, a cultural showcase which began more than 10 years ago and is now replicated in cities all over the world.
Fireworks went on for a long time around 10pm near the team hotel. The whole city plunged into the celebrations with music, food, film and ‘Melburnians,’ as the people of this city loved to be called, celebrated from dusk till dawn.
All journalists who attended the pre-match press conference had to struggle to reach their hotels since most roads were closed. “We have transformed Melbourne into a dazzling wonderland that will leave even Alice enchanted. So I wonder whether anyone will get a taxi,” remarked a volunteer. The walk to the hotel took 45 minutes and it was a lovely atmosphere as one walked past the beautifully decorated parks and buildings.
All hotel rooms are fully booked and those available have hiked their prices. With White Night, the Cricket World Cup and the Chinese New Year celebrations all taking place in Melbourne, an unprecedented 800,000 people have reached the city according to a local newspaper. The first White night in 2013 was attended by 300,000 and second by 500,000, and this year it has broken all records owing to the cricket World Cup.
Many fans who came by flight for the match could not reach their hotels near Melbourne as roads were closed; so many actually then checked in to hotels close to the airport.
At the ground, serpentine queues could be seen for tickets. Most of the fans looked sleepy since they were travelling to reach here, and those in the city had spent celebrating the White Night till dawn. Indian fans from England, the US and even Germany could be see waiting in the queue, while thousands of South Africans from Durban are also here. Many South African fans looked to be of Indian origin, especially the ones from Durban. “My great grand-parents are from Tamil Nadu, but we are South Africans and we support South Africa,” remarked a female fan.
