CAB officials mull an Eden full of Sachin

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is planning to order around 80,000 Sachin Tendulkar masks for the spectators to greet the legend when he steps out for the Test beginning on Nov 6. Somshuvra Laha reports.

Remember the cola advertisement where a bunch of boys played cricket wearing Sachin Tendulkar masks only to find the Little Master among them? Something similar could happen next month when Tendulkar steps out at the Eden for one last time.

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is planning to order around 80,000 Sachin Tendulkar masks for the spectators to greet the legend when he steps out for the Test beginning on Nov 6. “The idea is to have a full house at the Eden Gardens welcome the man wearing a Sachin mask,” said CAB secretary Subir Ganguly.

Ganguly said the order would be placed next week. It hasn’t yet been finalised whether the masks will come with the tickets or be left at the seats.

The CAB is also planning to have placards around the stadium which when held together forms Tendulkar’s face. “Since it’s a historic occasion, we are planning to make it unique everyday. If it’s Sachin masks one day, another day we could have placards in different sections of the stadium,” said Ganguly.

This is popular at football matches in Europe. At Barcelona’s Camp Nou, greeting the home team with the Catalan flag formed out of different placards on the spectators’ seats is a ritual.

Tickets too are not being spared. This being Tendulkar’s last series, efforts are also on to have his picture on the tickets to be sold on all five days.