The Bangladesh under-19 cricket team, that lifted the first ever World Cup for the country in any sport at any level, will return home from Potchefstroom by an Emirates Airlines flight at 4:55pm today. State Minister for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Russell and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan Papon are expected to receive the history-making under-19 cricket team at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka in the afternoon. The junior Tigers will then be taken to to the BCB-National Cricket Academy (NCA) ground for a brief reception programme. After the brief reception programme some of the

players will leave for their village homes tonight. The remaining players of the squad are scheduled to leave tomorrow (Thursday) for their village homes by air, an arrangement made by the cricket board for the winning team.

“The Under-19 team was scheduled to arrive here in the morning. But a change in schedule has been made and the team will now scheduled to arrive here at 5:00pm (Wednesday),” said BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury.

Therefore, the board has tried to arrange a short reception programme considering the hectic tour of the junior Tigers over the past one month, Chowdhury told the media at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.

AEM Kawsar, senior national manager of the BCB Games Development told The Independent from Potchefstroom that they will leave South Africa for home at midnight (Tuesday).  

“The players didn’t get any break during the World Cup. Today was a holiday for them and they went out shopping and touring the city. We will have our dinner together and then catch the plane at midnight,” said Kawser.

The BCB headquarters meanwhile has been decorated with big banners with pictures of the victorious team in Mirpur. A separate banner has been printed for captain Akbar Ali with the World Cup trophy has been hung in the middle of the BCB main building.

Bangladesh became unbeaten champions beating four-time winners India in a nail-biting final by three wickets at Potchefstroom to lift the coveted trophy of the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2020 in South Africa on Sunday.