The ICC U19 World Cup schedule has come under strong criticism from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), which says poor planning and excessive travel played a major role in the team’s early exit from the tournament in Zimbabwe. According to BCB officials, the way matches and travel were arranged created unnecessary physical and mental strain on young players, directly affecting their performance on the field.
Bangladesh, champions of the 2020 edition, arrived in Zimbabwe on January 6 with hopes of a deep run in the competition. However, from the very start, the ICC U19 World Cup schedule presented challenges that the team struggled to overcome.
Disrupted Preparation Before the Tournament
The team’s preparations were hampered even before the tournament began. Bangladesh had two warm-up matches scheduled—one against Pakistan in Masvingo on January 10 and another against Scotland in Harare on January 13. Unfortunately, both games were abandoned due to rain, denying the players valuable match practice in local conditions.
What made matters worse was the constant travel between cities. Masvingo and Harare are several hours apart, and the back-and-forth movement added to player fatigue at a crucial stage of preparation. For an under-19 squad, still developing physically and mentally, such disruption can have a significant impact.
Travel Restrictions Added to the Burden
One of the most controversial aspects of the ICC U19 World Cup schedule was the ICC’s decision to prohibit domestic air travel during the tournament. As a result, teams were expected to travel long distances by road, even during the monsoon season.
Bangladesh faced a nearly nine-hour bus journey from Harare to Bulawayo for their opening two group-stage matches against India and New Zealand. Recognizing the toll this would take on players, the BCB made the unusual decision to arrange and pay for an internal flight out of its own pocket.
Development coordinator Habibul Bashar later revealed that this step was taken purely to protect the players’ fitness. According to him, the long bus journey would have left the squad exhausted before facing strong opponents like India.
Constant Back-and-Forth During the Tournament
The travel challenges did not end there. After their group-stage matches in Bulawayo, Bangladesh had to return to Harare by bus to play against the United States on January 23. Soon after, they were required to travel back to Bulawayo again—once more by road—for their Super Six match against England on January 26.
This constant movement, driven by the ICC U19 World Cup schedule, meant players spent more time on buses than on recovery, training, or match preparation. Bangladesh lost to England in that Super Six fixture, which effectively ended their hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
Even after elimination, the team faced another long journey back to Harare for their final Super Six match against co-host Zimbabwe.
BCB Says Concerns Were Ignored
Habibul Bashar stated that the BCB had raised concerns about the travel burden with the ICC well before the tournament began. The board reportedly requested changes to the warm-up match venues to reduce unnecessary travel. However, these requests were not accepted.
According to Bashar, once the tournament schedule was finalized, there was little room for adjustment. He acknowledged that Bangladesh made tactical and strategic errors on the field but emphasized that the ICC U19 World Cup schedule was a factor that could not be ignored.
His comments were not framed as excuses, but as a call for better planning—especially in tournaments involving young athletes.
Impact on Player Performance
Sports scientists and coaches often stress that recovery and routine are critical for young players. Long road journeys, irregular rest, and frequent changes in location can disrupt sleep patterns and reduce physical sharpness.
In Bangladesh’s case, the repeated travel likely affected consistency and focus. Facing top teams like India, New Zealand, and England requires peak performance, and even small disadvantages can be decisive at this level.
Questions for the ICC
The controversy surrounding the ICC U19 World Cup schedule has raised broader questions about tournament logistics. While cost control and operational simplicity may have influenced the ICC’s decisions, critics argue that player welfare should be the top priority especially in youth competitions.
Allowing limited domestic air travel, minimizing unnecessary venue changes, and responding to team concerns could significantly improve future events.
Bangladesh’s early exit from the tournament is a disappointment for a side that lifted the trophy just a few years ago. While performance on the field always matters most, the debate around the ICC U19 World Cup schedule highlights the need for fair and balanced planning.
For future tournaments, better coordination between host nations, the ICC, and participating boards could help ensure that young players compete on a level playing field decided by skill and preparation, not by time spent on the road.
