E-Paper | November 15, 2026

2019 Cricket World Cup's 'opening party' takes place in London

Dawn.com Published
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The World Cup's opening ceremony takes place in front of Buckingham palace. — Photo courtesy: ICC
The World Cup's opening ceremony takes place in front of Buckingham palace. — Photo courtesy: ICC
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The opening ceremony of the 2019 Cricket World Cup took place on Wednesday at The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace in London.

Before the ceremony dubbed the "opening party", the captains of all 10 participating teams got to meet Elizabeth II, the Queen of the United Kingdom, at the palace.

Prior to the trophy unveiling, a round of two-a-side street cricket match was also played where Nobel laureate Malala Yousufzai and former ODI captain Azhar Ali represented Pakistan.

Malala gives an interview following the 60-second challenge.
Malala gives an interview following the 60-second challenge.

England, whose 50-over side is among the favourites, won the event named the 60-second challenge. Pakistan finished seventh but India finished 10th — a point made by Malala later and which drew loud cheers from the crowd.

At the event, which had more the feel of a street festival than a conventional launch, the official World Cup song titled "Stand By", sung by LORYN and also featuring Rudimental, was also played.

At the end, Australia's World Cup winning former captain Michael Clarke and former English spinner Graeme Swann unveiled the World Cup trophy to the crowd, which formally marked the start of the tournament.

The first match of the 2019 World Cup takes place on Thursday between the hosts England and South Africa.

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Gordon D. Walker
May 29, 2019 09:37pm
Best wishes to all the cricket teams. Go green, go! Gordon D. Walker Canada
Recommend 0
Hwh
May 29, 2019 09:46pm
Pathetic opening ceremony. I think UK dosen't have any money. The local club cricket opening ceremony used to be better than this.
Recommend 0
Jehengir khan
May 29, 2019 09:49pm
Let the passion flow and viewers experience the excitement......
Recommend 0
Newborn
May 29, 2019 09:49pm
Actually, this will be a dull world cup.
Recommend 0
Guzni
May 29, 2019 10:04pm
I am liking the un traditional opening ceremony, that I really like.
Recommend 0
Akram
May 29, 2019 10:12pm
This ceremony will probably be the high point of our World Cup experience. Downhill from here I’m afraid
Recommend 0
Khurram
May 29, 2019 10:27pm
This time chacha is more popular than the team.
Recommend 0
Mahboob
May 29, 2019 10:34pm
Opening ceremony may be dull but the format is great. First round is league format with top four going to knock out semi final followed by final.
Recommend 0
gamechanger
May 29, 2019 10:47pm
@Hwh, UK is broke because of BREXIT catastrophe.
Recommend 0
ahmad
May 29, 2019 11:10pm
this was the dullest wcup opening ceremony ever, total let down.
Recommend 0
k k tiwari
May 29, 2019 11:46pm
Dont be happy # no.7 and dont look towards India ,improve yourself
Recommend 0
Jigar
May 29, 2019 11:50pm
@Akram, Who needs enemies with supporters like you. Are you even a supporter.
Recommend 0
Ravian
May 29, 2019 11:58pm
Let,s play the game of cricket, with passion and pride. Good old days of cricket match between Govt. college and Islamia college.
Recommend 0
Rameez
May 30, 2019 12:08am
Really was that opening ceremony? Psl and ipl openings are a lot better
Recommend 0
Victoria Gardezi
May 30, 2019 12:08am
Who is Chacha Cricket?
Recommend 0
Danish
May 30, 2019 01:01am
Hope queen arranged the iftari for Pakistan cricket team.
Recommend 0
Hafeez
May 30, 2019 01:15am
@Hwh, where all looted money from around the world gone..
Recommend 0
Tareekh
May 30, 2019 01:21am
Modi's India already won
Recommend 0
P. L. Bakhshi
May 30, 2019 01:40am
All the best to participating teams for exhibiting their prowess, valor cum hardihood in the three facets which are the hallmarks of Game of Cricket, viz., batting, bowling and fielding, so that viewers enjoy game which is so popular both in India and Pakistan. All the participating teams have some talented players, hope they fire on the day they will be in the field. Results if positive are satiating but it is the display of the participants that matters. Finally it will be the better side which wins and finally the Best will grab the glittering Trophy.
Recommend 0
cricketlover
May 30, 2019 01:48am
Just enjoy the proceedings. Only one can grab the Cup but each team should play with the aim to give the audiences their money's worth.
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Daskalos
May 30, 2019 02:08am
Why didn't Sarfraz the Pakistan captain wear a formal dress and tie to meet HM the Queen? Every other captain is wearing one out of courtesy in the photograph. Don't we have any basic sense and manners? Please don't tell me that he was wearing 'Pakistani national dress' etc. There is a time and place for everything. I think apart from a coach and manager our team should have a formal adviser on etiquette.
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Comment
May 30, 2019 02:41am
Chacha cricket zindabad
Recommend 0
ajay
May 30, 2019 02:49am
learn opening ceremony from IPL.
Recommend 0
Ilyas
May 30, 2019 03:39am
Looks like UK is more impressed in the austerity drive launch by IK.
Recommend 0
Chacha
May 30, 2019 03:50am
Pakistan's time
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Ibrahim
May 30, 2019 03:56am
Chacha Cricket knows Pakistan will be crowned champions.
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UA
May 30, 2019 03:58am
They called the captains on stage in increasing order of their teams current rankings and then proceeded to interview only the top 4. I don't know about everyone else but that felt somewhat disrespectful to the lower ranked teams. The rest of it wasn't easy to watch either and compared to the ANZAC opening in 2015 or even the Bangladeshi one in 2011, this falls completely flat.
Recommend 0
Raja Farhat Abbas
May 30, 2019 04:22am
@Hwh, The UK is still the fourth richest country in the world, that says a lot about a little Island nation, does it not?.
Recommend 0
Ketan Gulmani
May 30, 2019 04:49am
@Jehengir khan, That’s the spirit.
Recommend 0
Ketan Gulmani
May 30, 2019 04:57am
@Newborn, I would really like to know the basis of your nay-saying. On a second thought, never mind!
Recommend 0
RUMI
May 30, 2019 05:18am
Out of all the teams Pakistan is the strongest and very clearly Indian team is the weakest.
Recommend 0
Ttk
May 30, 2019 05:48am
Rain will spoil atleast 50% of the matches..
Recommend 0
Hamid Shafiq
May 30, 2019 06:05am
Good luck Pakistan team
Recommend 0
Silver
May 30, 2019 07:30am
@Danish, and why would she do that? Religion is a private thing (or should be). Second... they are there to play, not attend iftaar parties.
Recommend 0
HashBrown®
May 30, 2019 07:47am
@k k tiwari, "Dont be happy # no.7 and dont look towards India ,improve yourself" Pretty rich coming from a guy who ignores his own news and trawls Pakistani sites...
Recommend 0
HashBrown®
May 30, 2019 07:50am
Not a fan of the official song. It sounds like it should be advertising a budget holiday, rather than a global sporting contest. Anyway, all the best Pakistan - nobody seems to fancy your chances, but sometimes that's when you guys are at your best! Your nation is behind you no matter what.
Recommend 0
AGK
May 30, 2019 07:52am
Hopefully the World cup matches aren't as interesting (pun intended) as the world cup ceremony
Recommend 0
Shahrukh Inayat Yusufzai
May 30, 2019 08:32am
@Gordon D. Walker, interesting name for a Pakistani
Recommend 0
Prasad
May 30, 2019 08:44am
@RUMI, "Out of all the teams Pakistan is the strongest and very clearly Indian team is the weakest." You lost to Afghanistan in the warm up match.
Recommend 0
Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad
May 30, 2019 09:14am
Here goes the start of the biggest cricket show in the world. Now sit back, relax and enjoy top class ODI 50-over games for the next 45 days, till the Grand Final slated and scheduled for Sunday, July 14, 2019, at the famous and historic Lords Cricket Stadium in London, England.
Recommend 0
Qaiser
May 30, 2019 09:47am
Let the best team win....Pakistan you can do it, play like cornered tigers and you will be there...remember 1992..
Recommend 0
Rana
May 30, 2019 11:08am
If that called the ICC world cup opening ceremony, it was the poorest ever, very insulting for Cricket and over 1 n half billion cricket lovers.
Recommend 0
sana
May 30, 2019 09:32pm
Best of luck to team England lets become a champion
Recommend 0

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