Till Thursday evening, Amir Sahin of Madaripur and Netrokona's Anwar Hossain were non-entities. But within the space of a few hours, these two men, normally seen in shabby clothes, have turned into celebrities.

Sahin and Hossain make a living by ferrying people on their cycle rickshaws and were among the 14 chosen to carry the cricket captains into the Bangabandhu National Stadium on their rickety vehicles for the opening ceremony of the World Cup here Thursday.