The cricketers had just returned from a tiring practice session before they freshened up and headed out to attend a reception programme hosted by the Nelson city mayor on behalf of the New Zealand indigenous society at the Nelson gate yesterday.
The tiredness, however, did not last long as the Tigers were welcomed with the rich old heritage which was beautifully portrayed by the young indigenous boys and girls as Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and his team were entering the hall.
The Bangladesh skipper was welcomed with a traditional dance by a young aboriginal boy along with their local song, sung by twenty odd school kids.
The cricketers were mesmerised by the performance, followed by the traditional Maori speech given by the priest where such receptions is rated as one the most prestigious programmes among the local New Zealand citizens.
The Bangladesh team manager along with the coaching staff were also present at the reception and the players were gifted with an ancient stone as a souvenir.
Furthermore, the Bangladesh team joined the celebrations and sang the song, “We shall over come one day” and gifted a Bangladeshi flag to the mayor with their autographs on it.
At the end of the reception ceremony, the Tigers greeted the local delegates in Maori style by brushing their forehead and nose with each other.
After that the cricketers enjoyed the local cuisine and the Maori song that lightened up the atmosphere which was indeed a different experience for the Tigers which they would cherish for long time.