Bangladesh showers cricketers with prizes after NZ win

Thursday, 21 October 2010 05:53 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

DHAKA (Reuters) - Cash and other incentives are flooding in for the Bangladesh cricket team after their 4-0 triumph over New Zealand in a one-day series.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina hosted the team at her official residence and announced a gift of a housing plot in the capital and a car to every player of 20-member team.

A welfare trust fund will also be set up to help the players after their careers or during times of injury, she said.

Hasina handed over individual cheques for 100,000 taka (890 pounds) each, presented by two private banks to each member of the team. She also handed over the keys to a car given to acting captain of the wining team Shakib Al Hasan by a private bank.

“It was a great success and our players can now realise that hard work and proper training can help them achieve any triumph in the arena of sports,” state news agency BSS quoted Hasina as saying.

Earlier, the Bangladesh Cricket Board said it was giving around eight million taka to the team as a bonus for winning the matches and series.

The country’s sports ministry also announced an additional incentive of one million taka for the cricketers.

The New Zealand series was Bangladesh’s first clean sweep against a full-strength top cricketing nation.