If England’s journey to the T20 World Cup semi-finals has not been an easy one, our thoughts should be with the brave and incredibly limited number of travellers in the crowd watching Thursday’s match against India at Providence Stadium.
Win or lose, England’s cricketers can rest easy knowing that travel arrangements have been made for them to travel to Barbados for Saturday’s final, or back to Heathrow Airport.
Stu Kemp, who will be almost singlehandedly cheering on Jos Buttler’s team in Guyana, will have no such luxury.
With a schedule that defies logic and at the same time demonstrates India’s grip on world football, Kemp and his friend Jamie Virgin know it will be almost impossible for England to reach the final, even if they beat an Indian team tailored to the weather and conditions in this tiny corner of South America.
“We had to leave before the semi-final to get to Barbados for the final,” Kemp said. “It all says where the ICC’s priorities are. The supporters are the last people they think about.”
The quarter-final showdown between the defending champions and an Indian team desperate to reclaim their title turned into a farce.
The tournament had already decided that if India made it to the knockout stage, the semi-finals would be played in Guyana and would be scheduled to begin at 10.30am at the Providence Stadium, with kick-off at 8pm prime time in India.
And unlike the first leg of the semi-final between South Africa and Afghanistan, played in the early hours of Wednesday morning, this match has no reserve day. “You can’t make it up,” Kemp said.
England players face logistical challenges travelling to Georgetown as the makeup of the knockout stages will not be known until Tuesday morning UK time.
But that’s nothing compared to the journey Kemp has endured as a Barmy Army regular for the past 15 years.
“Nobody knew where England would be playing until the India-Australia match finished in St Lucia, where we were,” he says.
“We booked a flight that morning to come here, and obviously India knew that if they were to leave the group they would be here so we were able to make arrangements in advance.
“There are absolutely no hotels available in Georgetown. We’re staying with a family in a homestay. Booking.com only gave us two options. It’s all a bit surreal. Last night I was eating KFC off the top of my suitcase.”
“The only flight to Barbados is on Saturday morning, while Friday flights go via America. I’ve contacted someone who can organise a private jet but it’s not ideal cost-wise. I think I could swim it but I’d need to check a map. How fast could I swim in those waters? It could take 15 years.”
“If England win it will be one of the greatest victories in our history. From a selfish point of view, there’s nothing I’d rather see than mass disappointment amongst Indian fans who had managed to book their flights and hotels in advance!”