# How to organise an overseas cricket tour Source: https://www.roamlytravel.com/guides/overseas-cricket-tour-logistics Publisher: Roamly Travel Last reviewed: 2026-10-30 Audience: Sports teams ## Short answer Organising an overseas cricket tour means agreeing fixtures with the hosts, getting kit to the ground, and covering travel, insurance and entry rules for every player. Under UK security rules cricket bats cannot go in hand luggage but can go in the hold, and each airline sets its own sports equipment limits, so confirm the cricket bags with the airline when you book. We found no ECB-wide approval process for club tours, so ask your county board and league what applies. ## Key takeaways - GOV.UK lists heavy bats and sticks, including cricket bats, as not allowed in hand luggage but allowed in the hold. - Airlines set their own sports equipment rules. British Airways, for example, accepts no checked bag over 32kg and sends heavier or larger items as cargo, and easyJet's published sports equipment list does not name cricket, so you ask it directly. - We found no ECB-wide approval process for club tours. The ECB's No Objection Certificate policy treats recreational overseas cricket, including club cricket, as automatically approved. Check with your county board, your league and the host club. - Agree match format, start times, umpires, scorers, balls and ground access with the hosts in writing before you pay for travel. - Plan for heat. NHS advice is to drink more cold fluids, avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm where possible, and treat heatstroke as an emergency. - Ask your insurer in writing whether the policy covers cricket, all players and the whole trip. ## Does a cricket tour abroad need approval? Football and rugby both have a clear approval step for tours. For cricket we found no equivalent rule published by the ECB for club tours. What we did find is the ECB's No Objection Certificate (NOC) policy, effective 1 June 2026. It says that where a player takes part in a non-professional or recreational overseas competition, including club cricket such as grade cricket in Australia, an NOC is automatically granted without any further process. The policy is aimed mainly at registered and professional players. That does not settle everything. Your county cricket board, league or club constitution may have its own rules on tours, affiliation and insurance. Ask them before you book, and ask the host club what it needs from you. ## How do you get cricket kit on the flight? Cricket kit is bulky and some of it has security restrictions. Start with what GOV.UK says about hand luggage: *Selected sports items under GOV.UK hand luggage rules* | Item | Hand luggage | Hold luggage | | --- | --- | --- | | Cricket, baseball and softball bats | No | Yes | | Golf clubs | No | Yes | | Tennis racquets | Yes | Yes | GOV.UK's list does not name pads, helmets or balls, so ask the airline and your departure airport about those. Security staff can also refuse any item they consider dangerous. - **Check the airline's sports equipment page.** British Airways' published rules say no checked bag may weigh more than 32kg, and that items heavier or larger than its maximum go as cargo. easyJet allows one piece of sports equipment per person in two size bands, small (20kg) and large (32kg), but its list of named items does not include cricket, and it asks customers to contact it about unlisted items. - **Book kit with the seats.** Add each bag to the booking with names attached, as airlines limit how much bulky baggage one aircraft can carry. - **Pack for the weight limit.** Weigh each bag before departure and share heavy items such as covers and kit bags across several cases. - **Split critical kit.** Put the umpire's items, spare balls and first aid in more than one bag so a single lost case does not stop a match. Our guide to declaring oversized baggage covers how to notify an airline of special items for a group. ## What should you agree with the host club? Settle these in writing, ideally by email, before you pay deposits. - Number of matches, dates, start times and format, including overs and whether it is a limited-overs or timed game. - Which ground and pitch type each fixture uses, and whether practice nets are available before the first match. - Who supplies umpires, scorers and match balls. - How the teams travel between grounds and who pays for the transport. - A weather plan for rain or heat and an agreed reserve date or shortened format. - Whether any host-side safeguarding or insurance requirements apply to junior players. ## How do you plan for heat and food? Long days in the field in hot weather create a real health risk. The NHS lists heat exhaustion symptoms as tiredness, dizziness, headache, nausea, heavy sweating and cramps, and says heatstroke, where the skin is hot and not sweating and the person may be confused, is a medical emergency. Its prevention advice includes drinking more cold fluids when active, wearing loose light-coloured clothing and avoiding the sun between 11am and 3pm. Agree drinks breaks and shade at the ground with the hosts, and brief players before the first match. Abroad, use the local emergency number instead of the UK 999 or NHS 111 numbers the NHS page quotes. See our guides to warm-weather training camps and nutrition for a team travelling. ## What entry, insurance and safeguarding checks apply? - **Passports:** Check every passport against the destination's rules. For the Schengen area a UK passport must be less than 10 years old on arrival and valid for 3 months after departure. See our [passport and visa checklist](https://www.roamlytravel.com/guides/passport-visa-checklist-group-travel). - **Visas:** Rules differ by country and by passport. Use the entry requirements section of GOV.UK foreign travel advice for each destination. - **Insurance:** GOV.UK says to check cover for all the activities you plan and warns that some sports are not usually included in standard policies. Ask your insurer to confirm cricket in writing. - **Junior players:** Follow your governing body's safeguarding policy and the NSPCC guidance on overnight and international trips. See safeguarding on junior sports team trips. - **Medication:** Players carrying prescribed medicines need letters and original packaging. See travelling with medication. ## How Roamly can help Roamly Travel arranges [group flights](https://www.roamlytravel.com/services/group-flights) with equipment bookings, plus [ground logistics](https://www.roamlytravel.com/services/logistics) such as transfers between grounds and team accommodation. Start with the free [group travel calculator](https://www.roamlytravel.com/group-travel-calculator) to estimate per-person costs, or [contact us](https://www.roamlytravel.com/contact) with your fixtures and squad size. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can a cricket bat go in hand luggage? No. GOV.UK lists heavy bats and sticks, including cricket bats, as not allowed in hand luggage but allowed in the hold. Security staff can refuse any item they consider dangerous. ### Does the ECB need to approve a club cricket tour abroad? We found no ECB approval process for club tours. The ECB's NOC policy treats recreational overseas cricket as automatically approved. Your county board, league or club rules may still apply, so ask them. ### How heavy can a cricket bag be on a flight? It depends on the airline. British Airways says no checked bag may weigh more than 32kg, and easyJet's large sports equipment band is 32kg. Confirm your airline's limit and fee when you book. ### What should a cricket tour agree with the host club? Dates, start times, match format, grounds, umpires, scorers, balls, transport between grounds, and a weather plan, in writing and before you pay deposits. ## Sources - [GOV.UK: Hand luggage restrictions, sports equipment](https://www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-restrictions/sports-equipment) - [easyJet: Sports equipment](https://www.easyjet.com/en/help/baggage/sports-equipment) - [British Airways: Flying with sports equipment](https://www.britishairways.com/content/information/baggage-essentials/sports-equipment) - [ECB: No Objection Certificate Policy (effective 1 June 2026)](https://resources.ecb.co.uk/ecb/document/2026/06/04/09019fcf-b438-4065-a850-306a4de9d306/NOC-Policy-June-1-2026.pdf) - [NHS: Heat exhaustion and heatstroke](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heat-exhaustion-heatstroke/) - [GOV.UK: Foreign travel insurance](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/foreign-travel-insurance)