Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has named the upcoming 2019-20 edition of the National School Cricket after Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to celebrate his centenary birth anniversary. Sponsored by Prime Bank Limited, the competition for the young players is scheduled to get underway with district round at different venues across the country on January 20.

It was informed at the logo unveiling ceremony of the Prime Bank Bangabandhu-National School Cricket tournament at the Media Bloc of the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in Mirpur yesterday. Prime Bank Limited (PBL) Managing Director and CEO Rahel Ahmed, BCB director and its games development committee chairman Khaled Mahmud Sujon, BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury and PBL Executive Vice-President and Head of Brands Nazmul Karim Chowdhury were present on the occasion.

“The lost tradition of the school level cricket has gradually been returned over the years. Four of the U19 national team players also had the experience of playing in the Prime Bank School Cricket competition. A high-number of young cricketers emerged from school level cricket are playing different age-level national sides,” Khaled Mahmud Sujon said. “Various programmes have been organising under several govt and non-govt institutions to mark the Father of the Nation Bangabnadhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s birth centenary. This year the school cricket competition has been named after Bangabandhu. A record number of youth cricketers have been taking part in the competition each year. This edition will be memorable for everyone and we’re very proud to be a part of it,” said Rahel Ahmed.

A total of 965 one-day matches will be played under three different phases including 901 matches to be played at district round, 57 at divisional round and seven matches in the national round. This year a total of 11,120 school cricketers from 556 schools at district levels, 64 champion schools from 64 districts and 8 schools from the national level will take part in the event. Cumilla High School and Bogura Police Lines High School and College were emerged national champions and runners-up respectively in the 2018-19 edition of the Prime Bank Young Tigers National School Cricket Tournament.