KOLKATA: Cricket Association of Bengal's (CAB) guest list for the country's first pink ball Test at the
Eden Gardens
from November 22 continues to swell by each passing day.
Apart from Bangladesh Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina, invitations have been forwarded to the PMO office, Chief Minister
Mamata Banerjee and Governor Jagdeep Dhankar.
At the same time Ganguly will personally contact
Sachin Tendulkar, who was one of the members of the Indian side that played against Bangladesh in their inaugural Test match in 2000.
Apart from that multiple world champion Viswanathan Anand and tennis ace
Sania Mirza are also likely to grace the Test.
"Anand would be in the city for a Grand Chess Tour event around the same time, so we have invited him too. He is most likely to grace the Test," a CAB official said.
"We will make it a fantastic event. Work is on and in three or four days' time, I will be able to give you a concrete picture of what all is happening. It will be a huge event," Ganguly said on Thursday.
"We will felicitate Olympian Abhinav Bindra, MC
Mary Kom and PV Sindhu for their achievements," he added.
CAB secretary Avishek Dalmiya later said they are planning a charity match for HIV-positive children during the 40-minute supper break on the first day of the match.
"We will seek permission from BCCI and if they allow we will organise a match for the HIV-positive children from an NGO. We will also allow them to run a cafeteria here," he said.
Plans are there to have a small cultural programme during the big break where Usha Uthup and Runa Laila will enthrall the spectators with their songs.