Dhaka, Feb 11 – World Cup-winning Bangladesh Under-19 Cricket Team will return home from Potchefstroom by a flight of Emirates Airlines after over a month-long stay in South Africa for ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup at 4:55 pm Wednesday. State Minister for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Russell and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan Papon are expected to greet the history-making Akbar Ali-led victorious Under-19 Cricket team at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
A small-scale greeting programme has been arranged by the BCB at the Airport from where the players of the winning youth Tigers will be brought to the BCB-National Cricket Academy (NCA) ground.
The board has kept some arrangements on their premises. After all that, some of the players will leave for home village at night on the same day. The remaining players of the winning squad will leave tomorrow (Thursday) by air route what the board arranged for them as it is learnt from the close source of the BCB.
Regarding the matter, BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said they will make arrangements to send them to their respective home villages after finishing the small-scale formalities.
“You all know that the Under-19 Team was scheduled to arrive here in Dhaka tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. But a change in schedule has been made. As of now, they are slated to arrive here in Dhaka at 5:00 pm (Wednesday),” said Nizamuddin Chowdhury.
“So, the planning is being prepared in that way as the boys were out of the country for so long. Considering all, we’ve kept some arrangements for them what we will try to do within the short span of time,” Chowdhury told the media at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.
“Greeting them at the Airport, we will bring them at the BCB and make arrangements to send them to their respective home villages,” he added.
BCB Games Development senior national manager AEM Kawser told Journalists from Potchefstroom they will board a flight at midnight.
“The players didn’t get any recess for the World Cup. They didn’t shave them off for which the beard and moustache have been grown. Today was a holiday for them. They have gone out for shopping and visiting the city after finishing their essential work. We will all have our dinner together and ride on the plane at midnight,” said Kawser.
They are slated to land in the Airport after a 17-18 hours long jet log.
The BCB headquarters meanwhile has been furnished with big banners of the victorious team and its players to greet them in Mirpur. A big banner of captain Akbar Ali with the World Cup trophy has been hung up in the middle of the BCB main building.
Bangladesh became unbeaten World Cup champions beating four-time champions India by three wickets in the nail-biting final at Potchefstroom to lift the trophy of the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2020 in South Africa.
The government will accord a grand reception to the triumphant junior Tigers at Suhrawardy Udyan for achieving the long-cherished dream of the Bangladesh people.
BCB President Nazmul highly appreciated the first-ever achievement of the Young Tigers and described it as the biggest glory not only in cricket but Bangladesh’s sports history also.
Consulting with the Prime Minister, the BCB president said they will decide what they will next do for the winning boys. – Staff Reporter
