Sports | Thursday 29 January, 2015 3:53 pm |

OSN, the region’s leading pay-TV network, is celebrating the start of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 with a Guinness World Record attempt.

The company today unveiled a giant cricket bat, 32 metres long and 4 metres wide, in a bid to clinch the Guinness World Record for the ‘Largest Cricket Bat.’

As tall as an 8 to 10-storey building, the ‘Largest Cricket Bat’ weighs a mammoth 950 kg and is nearly 32 times longer than a standard cricket bat.

Placed horizontally, the bat’s length is equivalent to the distance of seven cars parked bumper to bumper. In sheer proportion, it would take a player about 52.8 metres tall to wield the bat.

The bid underlines OSN’s status as the home of cricket. The company is the official sponsor of the UAE National Cricket Teams, and holds exclusive broadcast rights for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

The cricket bat will be on display at the ICC Academy in Dubai until the end of March. Cricket fans will be able to write a message on the bat, expressing their support for the UAE National Cricket Team before they leave the UAE to travel to Australia later this week.

Hamad Malik, Chief Marketing Officer and Andy Warkman, VP Sports and Production at OSN; Maqbul Dudhia, General Manager – Sports Business Dubai Sports City; David East, CEO of Emirates Cricket Board and the UAE National Cricket team’s coach, Aqib Javed along with star players revealed the gigantic cricket bat.

Hamad Malik said: “The unveiling of the ‘World’s Largest Cricket Bat’ is more than a symbolic gesture; it is our tangible tribute to the world of cricket, while also celebrating OSN’s exclusive telecast rights of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. It also puts the spotlight on the UAE and the steady strides it has made in international cricket.

“The giant bat will add to the pride of the UAE in its steadfast commitment to promoting the game in the region. As the home of cricket, OSN is also saluting the UAE National Men’s Cricket Team as they take on international teams at the ICC Cricket World Cup, and we will bring all the action live and exclusively for fans across the region.”






During the ICC Cricket World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, OSN will telecast all the matches of UAE Men’s National Cricket Team, placed in Pool B. The team will leave for New Zealand on January 29 and OSN will bring all the action, right from their practice matches through to the ICC Cricket World Cup games. The OSN logo will appear on all playing and training gear of the UAE Men’s National Cricket Team. The team will face Ireland (Feb. 25), India (Feb. 28), Pakistan (March 4) and South Africa (March 12).

As the undisputed ‘home of cricket,’ OSN Sports Cricket HD offers cricket fans across the region thousands of hours of live international cricket in true high definition. OSN recently bagged exclusive regional rights to broadcast the entire roster of 18 International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments and qualifiers for the next eight years. OSN also holds rights for the Indian Premier League, Champions League T20, Big Bash league and the Indian, England, Australian, New Zealand and Bangladesh Cricket Boards. All the action will be presented in glorious high-definition (HD) on OSN’s dedicated cricket channel – OSN Sports Cricket HD.