World Cup trio visit the MCG

On the eve of the ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf, Norwegian Espen Kofstad, Indian Anirban Lahiri and American Kevin Streelman paid a visit to Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Australia’s largest stadium and the birthplace of Test cricket.

After a Q&A with MC Craig Willis, one of Australia’s most renowned sports broadcasters, the players were given a guided tour of the ground by Stephen Gough, the Chief Executive Officer of Melbourne Cricket Club.

The tour took in the tapestry made to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the MCG, which was built in 1853 and welcomes more than four million people though its gates every year.

After a stroll through the members-only Long Room, cricket fanatic Lahiri then had his picture taken next to the photograph of his hero Sachin Tendulkar, the recently-retired deity of Indian cricket, and Sir Donald Bradman, his rival for the title of the best batsman in history.

By his own admission, Kofstad’s understanding of the nuances of cricket is vague at best, but even he was taken aback by the scale of the stadium, which has a capacity of 95,000 and holds the world record for the highest floodlights at any sporting venue in the world.

He said: “Even though I’m not a cricket fan, it was still an amazing experience to be taken round the stadium. We don’t often get the chance to experience the cities we play in, so it’s cool to do different things and I really enjoyed the visit.”

Known locally as “the G”, the MCG was the main stadium for the 1956 Olympic Games, hosting all track and field events, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. In 2006, the stadium again filled the same role, this time for the Commonwealth Games.

Apart from its sporting events, the MCG has also staged numerous music concerts, including Madonna, U2, Michael Jackson, Rolling Stones and The Police; and Pope John Paul II even held a mass there when he visited Melbourne in 1986.