XtraTime Web Desk: 2019 Cricket World Cup about to start in eight days ten teams will take part in this edition of World Cup. Every team will play 9 games each. Best four teams will qualify for the Semi Finals. Let’s find out which country have longest national anthem
Bangladesh:
Bangladesh are on top of the list with an undefeatable 2 minutes and 45 seconds. The anthem may not hold much water with someone who doesn’t know the language. “Amar Sonar Bangla” the song wrote by Rabindranath Tagore. Bangladesh is now a very good team as they reached Quarter Final in 2015 World Cup. They reached Champions Trophy Semi Finals in 2017. They were runners in 2018 Nidahas Trophy and also played the final of Asia Cup 2018.
Sri Lanka:
The Asian Lions are at No. 2 in this anthem-a-thon. A very interesting and less known fact – the composer of the two and a half minute long “Sri Lanka Matha”- Ananda Samarakoon, was a student of Rabindranath Tagore at Shantiniketan, and it is said that Tagore too had a substantial contribution towards the lyrics and tune.
And you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure that out – start listening to the anthem and it starts with almost the same tune as the “Uchhala Jaladhi Taranga” part of our anthem. Interestingly the anthem has official versions in 2 languages – Sinhalese and Tamil.
Afghanistan:
Afghanistan also has a long national anthem of two minute two seconds. “Milli Surood” is their anthem. It was adopted in 2006. This team will make their second appearance in the cricket World Cup.
South Africa:
This national anthem composed of five different languages to represent different sections of the African nation, “God bless Africa” never fails to inspire even spectators from other nations. Ranked third in the list of longest anthems, this two-minute rendition is in actuality a combination of two different anthems, and even shifts melody midway, concluding in a different key.
West Indies:
West Indies doesn’t have any national anthem as it isn’t really a country but a cricketing body composed of players from the nations of Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Leeward Islands and Windward Islands.
True to the Caribbean spirit, “Rally Round the West Indies” is a typical peppy number that grooves for about a minute and 45 seconds.
Pakistan:
Easily one of the most melodious and harmonious of anthems amongst all cricketing nations, the “Qaumi Tarana” runs for almost a minute and a half. Every time India meets Pakistan in a World Cup encounter, the two anthems form very much a part of the celebrations, which are invariably graced by important figures from both nations.
New Zealand:
Being one of the many British colonies around the World, New Zealand too sung “God Save the Queen” till 1976, when a petition ruled “God Defend New Zealand” as the second national anthem.
Since then, the Black Caps have been singing the highly energetic anthem which runs for just over a minute, and has both English as well as Maori lyrics, giving it the aggressive punch.
Australia:
Australia’s “Advance Australia Fair” is a close ninth with an average playtime of about 55 seconds. With inspiring lyrics, it sure does the trick for the 5-time World Champions as they are always up for a good fight on the big stage.
India:
With an official time of 52 seconds, India has one of the shortest anthems amongst all cricketing nations. The funny part is, that in a country where Hindi rules the roost in terms of the most spoken language, the anthem is composed in Bengali, albeit Sanskritised. But, each and every time you hear it, oh boy, don’t you have goose – bumps all over!
England:
The nation credited with the birth of this great game, holds the record for the shortest anthem – 40 seconds – as well as for the oldest national anthem amongst all cricketing nations – the anthem dating back to 1745.
While English cricketers have been singing the United Kingdom’s – “God Save the Queen” in all their matches, England as a nation has been vying for a separate anthem for them.