ICC launches online initiative to connect fans to World Cup

Dubai:

With less than 100 days to go for the ICC World Cup, top cricketers are urging their supporters to send in good luck messages through twitter and other online media to inspire and cheer their favourite teams.

Fans from across the globe are being asked to send in messages that will be posted on the dressing room walls of their favourite teams at the tournament, the International Cricket Council (ICC) stated today.

"The concept has already proved to be very popular with players and supporters at the ICC World Twenty20 2010."

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has led the call of leading players taking part at the event to encourage fans to send in messages.

"The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 promises to be the biggest sports event ever to be played in Sri Lanka and I am very excited about having the chance to play in front of our people at this tournament," Sangakkara said.

"I hope that our fans will take the time to send in good luck messages to the team because when we sit in the dressing room on a match day we will know that there are Sri Lanka fans living all around the world wanting us to do well."

England's Paul Collingwood, who captained the side to victory in the Caribbean earlier this year at the ICC World Twenty20, admitted that messages from supporters did make a difference to players in the dressing room.

"It was a great inspiration for the team to have good luck messages from our supporters on our dressing room wall during the ICC World Twenty20 2010," Collingwood said.

"England is very lucky to have some of the most passionate travelling cricket supporters in the world and we hope that we will have some great support in the stands for our matches at the ICC Cricket World Cup."

Bangladesh's Mashrafe Mortaza, on the other hand, is keen to know that supporters will be backing his side.

"We are all really excited about having the chance to play on home soil in the ICC Cricket World Cup and we are confident of doing well. The recent series win over New Zealand shows that we are capable of beating top quality opposition on a regular basis," Mashrafe Mortaza said.

"In Dhaka and Chittagong we know that we will have thousands of supporters cheering us on and I hope that our fans will want to inspire us in the dressing room as well by sending in some good luck messages," the all-rounder added.

Supporters have been asked to send in their messages @cricketicc on Twitter, stating which team they are directed towards.

The messages can be posted by November 25 and should not be more than 140 characters. The fans can also mail their wishes to yourview@icc-cricket.com.