DUBAI — The final batch of players from South Africa and the West Indies have departed India after being stranded for more than a week following their exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, cricket’s governing body confirmed on Thursday . International air travel was thrown into chaos after airlines cancelled or rerouted flights because of the ongoing war in the Middle East, which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February .
The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that in the last 24 hours, “South Africa’s remaining 29 members and the West Indies’ final 16 members have departed on flights to their respective homelands” . The departures bring to a close “a complex operation that has taken place under exceptionally challenging global travel conditions” .
A Nine-Day Ordeal
The West Indies squad had been stranded in Kolkata since March 1, following their Super Eight elimination by India at Eden Gardens . South Africa’s campaign ended a few days later when they lost the first semifinal to eventual runners-up New Zealand at the same venue on March 4, leaving them caught in the same predicament .
Cricket West Indies (CWI) described the uncertainty surrounding their return as “increasingly distressing” and pointed to “continued delays with charter flight arrangements organised by the ICC” . In a strongly worded statement, CWI noted that the charter flight meant to transport both the West Indies and South Africa teams was “repeatedly delayed,” leaving the Caribbean side waiting in India for nine days after completing play .
“As is customary for both men’s and women’s ICC World Cups, all travel and accommodation arrangements for participating teams are coordinated and managed by the ICC,” CWI’s statement read, emphasizing that the delays were beyond their control . The board eventually informed the ICC that it was “no longer prudent to continue waiting” and secured commercial travel for its remaining squad members .
Frustration Boils Over
The prolonged delay sparked visible frustration among players and coaching staff. West Indies head coach Daren Sammy, a two-time T20 World Cup-winning former captain, took to social media with a simple but poignant plea: “I just wanna go home” . Days later, he amplified a post from South African batter David Miller, who had questioned why England’s squad was able to depart within 36 hours of their semi-final exit while other teams remained stranded .
Miller wrote on social media: “It doesn’t take the ICC long to organise England charter. WI have been waiting for 7 days for a charter and SA coming on 4 days now. And yet we still wait” . His South African teammate Quinton de Kock similarly expressed bewilderment, posting: “England are leaving before us somehow?! Strange how different teams have more pull than others” .
ICC Rejects Bias Claims
The ICC responded forcefully to suggestions of preferential treatment, rejecting any implication that decisions had been driven by anything other than “safety, feasibility and welfare” . The governing body lambasted what it called “uninformed and unhelpful” criticism from people unaware of the complex logistical challenges posed by the Middle East conflict .
“The ICC rejects any suggestion that these decisions have been driven by anything other than safety, feasibility and welfare. Suggestions otherwise across a variety of media platforms from people uninformed of the situation are as unhelpful as they are incorrect,” the ICC stated .
The governing body emphasized that there was “no link between arrangements made in the cases of South Africa and the West Indies and those made previously for England or any other nation, which arose from separate circumstances, routing options and different travel conditions” .
Logistical Nightmare
The core of the problem lay with the ICC’s airline partner, Emirates, which was unable to operate due to the shutdown of Dubai airspace following the escalation of the Middle East conflict . Airspace closures, missile warnings, and re-routing constraints across the Gulf region forced multiple airlines to avoid critical routes, creating what the ICC described as conditions “entirely outside the ICC’s control” .
A charter flight scheduled to take off from Kolkata for Johannesburg—from which the West Indies contingent was to continue onward to Antigua—was cancelled hours before departure due to “logistical issues” . An official from the Cricket Association of Bengal told PTI that players were informed of the cancellation without further explanation .
Resolution and Aftermath
The ICC ultimately booked separate commercial flights for the stranded players, with ICC chairman Jay Shah personally assuring players of safe passage . Some West Indies players, including Rovman Powell (Kolkata Knight Riders), Sherfane Rutherford (Mumbai Indians), Shimron Hetmyer (Rajasthan Royals), and Romario Shepherd (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), opted to remain in India to join their respective Indian Premier League franchises as preparatory camps were set to begin .
The ICC expressed sympathy for the players’ “genuine frustration” while thanking them for their patience . The governing body confirmed it was managing all additional logistics, including accommodation, resulting from the unforeseen travel disruptions .
South Africa’s World Cup campaign ended on March 4 with their semi-final defeat, while the two-time champion West Indies exited on March 1 . Both teams now look to regroup after an unprecedented logistical ordeal that turned a routine post-tournament departure into a week-long saga.
