Cricket was played in unified Bengal in the 18th and 19th centuries, but the eastern parts, modern-day Bangladesh, began to stage proper tournaments only in the 1950s, when the region was known as East Pakistan. An MCC side first toured Bangladesh in 1976-77. The cricket board of the time, the BCCB, put together a team for the 1979 ICC Trophy, a qualifier for the World Cup then. Seven years on, Bangladesh played their first ODI. Their first appearance at cricket's biggest event was in 1999, alongside Scotland and Kenya, the teams they beat in the semi-final and final of the ICC Trophy in Malaysia two years before. The country's prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, led the rousing reception for the team when they came home, with millions in attendance.