20 January,2011 08:49 AM IST | | AFP
The International Cricket Council marked the 30-day countdown to the World Cup by displaying the tournament's trophy at the Bombay Stock Exchange on Wednesday.
ICC president Sharad Pawar, chief executive Haroon Lorgat and tournament director Ratnakar Shetty all rang the opening bell at the BSE to signal the start of the day's trading.
Pawar, a federal minister who also heads the World Cup organising committee, said he was delighted the trophy was at Mumbai's financial landmark.
"The BSE will always be a shining monument to the spirit of Mumbai and its people," Pawar said in an ICC statement ahead of the February 19-April 2 tournament, being co-hosted by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Pawar said that during the tournament "heroes will be made, dreams realised and hopes dashed. A new generation will be inspired by the world's greatest players."
The 14 participating nations have been divided into two groups for the preliminary league, with the top four from each half qualifying for the quarter-finals.
Reigning champions Australia have been drawn with Sri Lanka, Pakistan, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya in Group A.
India and Bangladesh, who play the opening match in Dhaka on February 19, will be joined by England, South Africa, West Indies, Ireland and the Netherlands in Group B.
The World Cup will be held in the sub-continent, the financial powerhouse of cricket, for the third time after India and Pakistan held it in 1987 and were joined by Sri Lanka in 1996.
Pakistan were also due to co-host the 2011 party, but were stripped of their rights after security concerns in the volatile nation in the aftermath of the terror attack on the Sri Lankan team in 2009.
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