The 2024 T20 World Cup, which started on June 1 in the Americas, has been under the spotlight for various administrative reasons, one of the primary ones being the non-uniform schedule of the event.
With 20 teams participating, this edition of the men's T20 World Cup is the biggest, spread across the United States of America and the West Indies. However, the size of the tournament has naturally brought along logistical difficulties, including but not limited to scheduling and ticketing.
Uneven scheduling at the 2024 men's T20 World Cup
Recently, after Match No. 4 between South Africa and Sri Lanka, Maheesh Theekshana complained of the tough hand his team has been dealt with as they are scheduled to play their first round fixtures across four different venues. Only one other team - the Netherlands - are in the same boat. On the other hand, some sides have been lucky enough to have been allotted three back-to-back games at a particular venue during the first round, where each team is supposed to play four games.
Before the start of the main tournament, each team had the opportunity to play two warm-up games. Due to the busy international calendar right before the start of the men's T20 World Cup, not every team chose to play warm-up matches. India, Ireland, and West Indies played only one practice match while Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand and England played none. All other teams played two games each.
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With each team guaranteed to play four first round games, the number of warm-up fixtures gives an idea into the maximum number of potential transits each team might have to make. The ones playing two warm-ups might potentially have to travel five times, once after every game. The teams playing one warm-up fixture might have to make a maximum of four potential transits, and the ones playing no warm-up games might have to change bases a maximum of three times up and until the end of the group stage.
Here's a detailed look at which teams are the most fortunate and which teams are the least as far as travelling between games for the first round of fixtures is concerned.
Note - The distances are an aggregate of the estimated distances as the crow flies between cities.
The busiest teams: Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Scotland
Among all teams, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Scotland, and Bangladesh are the only ones who are scheduled to change base four times from the start of the warm-ups till the end of the first round.
In terms of distance, Bangladesh are the busiest team, scheduled to travel 9,921 km in the following order: Dallas - New York - Dallas - New York - Kingstown. The next busiest are Sri Lanka, who played both their warm-up games at Lauderhill, but will be travelling across four venues for the first round games, totalling a distance of 8,097 km.
The Netherlands are scheduled to travel 7,380 km, while Scotland, despite having to travel only 1,242 km, will need to change base four times in the following order: Tarouba - Port of Spain - Bridgetown - North Sound - Gros Islet.
Twelve teams to change base between 2-3 times
Afghanistan, Australia, Namibia, Oman, and the West Indies are scheduled to travel thrice between games. Among them, West Indies played only one warm-up match, meaning their three transits will come from a maximum of four potential venue changes and not five, unlike the others in this group. Among these five teams, the West Indies are scheduled to travel the most in terms of distance - 1,709 km - while Oman are supposed to travel the least - 891 km.
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Seven teams will make two transits between venues till the end of the first round: Nepal, Canada, USA, PNG, Uganda, Ireland, and Pakistan. Among them, Pakistan played no warm-up games while Ireland played only one. In terms of distance, Nepal travel the most - 4,214 km - followed by Canada, USA, and Pakistan, each of whom are scheduled to travel 3,922 km.
The lucky ones: India, South Africa, New Zealand, England
India, South Africa, New Zealand, and England are the only teams at the 2024 T20 World Cup that need to change base just once. All of them except India played no warm-up games before the tournament, while India played one, meaning they will need to take only one flight between five games.
India's warm-up match and their first three first round games are all scheduled in New York, making them the only team apart from USA to play four consecutive games at a single venue at the 2024 men's T20 World Cup till the end of the first round.
In terms of distance, defending champions England are scheduled to travel the least (505 km) as they will move from Bridgetown, Barbados to North Sound, Antigua after their second game, against Australia.
Distance each team is scheduled to travel till the end of the first round at the T20 WC
- Bangladesh - 9,921
- Sri Lanka - 8,097
- Netherlands - 7,380
- Nepal - 4,214
- Canada - 3,922
USA - 3,922
Pakistan - 3,922 - Ireland - 3,434
- South Africa - 3,306
- India - 1,717
- West Indies - 1,709
- Afghanistan - 1,521
- PNG - 1,246
Uganda - 1,246 - Scotland - 1,242
- Australia - 1,195
- Namibia - 924
- Oman - 891
- New Zealand - 623
- England - 505
*All distance in kilometers
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