BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (CMC):

Former West Indies batsman Larry Gomes has lamented the hectic playing schedule in the current TCL West Indies Under-19 Challenge.

Gomes, Trinidad Tobago's coach, complained that playing 15 out of 19 days in the tournament was not an easy task for teenaged cricketers who were only accustomed to playing on the weekends at the club level in their respective countries.

"Having to play 15 out 19 days plus the one-day matches is hard for the players and it requires a lot of physical and mental toughness," said Gomes, whose 60 Tests for the West Indies between 1976 and 1987 brought him 3,171 runs.

"I don't think this is the best thing, but I guess with the constraints it has to be this way. The guys need about two days to rest and replenish their energy for the next round there is a rest day after each round, a part of that day has to be used for practice."

Jamaica's coach Andre Coley, who was a player the last time the competition was held in St. Kitts in 1993, agreed the format did not allow enough time for the players to rest and said he believed the structure needed to be revised to include more rest days.

"It is hard on these young guys who have been training really hard before coming here. They have to play almost non-stop cricket for 19 days in weather that has been very hot here," Coley pointed out.

"This leads to dehydration and I understand that over 12 players have had to be taken to the hospital already and we have only finished two rounds."

He said this was compounded by the fact that if a team was doing well and the XI was not changed, it meant the same players would be playing all the time and would be burnt out by the final round.

"The WICB has included a regulation to prevent fast bowlers from bowling more than six over per session so why can't they look at a format which also protects the youngsters from possible injury due to fatigue?" Coley queried.

The three-day phase of the tournament, currently in its fourth round, began July 24 and is set to conclude August 12.

Players will have a day's break before the one-day tournament bowls off August 13 with the final scheduled for August 18.