ICC Sympathises With Players' Frustration, Says Safety Behind Delayed Departures

Dubai: The ICC has expressed sympathy for West Indies and South African players over their "genuine frustration" at being unable to fly home after the T20 World Cup due to the West Asia conflict, rejecting "suggestions that these decisions have been driven by anything other than safety, feasibility and welfare" of the teams.

Giving details of the travel schedule, the ICC said the Proteas contingent will begin departing for home on Wednesday night, with all members are expected to leave within the next 36 hours.

Nine West Indies players have already left, while the remaining 16 have been booked on commercial flights departing India within the next 24 hours, said the ICC.

"We will provide updates on further departures as confirmed arrangements are in place," said ICC in a statement.

The ICC on Tuesday booked separate commercial flights for the stranded West Indies and South Africa teams after their charter flight scheduled to take off from Kolkata was cancelled due to logistical issues.

"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," said cricket's world governing body.

"There is 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," it added.

The two teams played their final games in Kolkata (West Indies in Super 8s on March 1 and South Africa on March 4 in the semi-final). They have not been able to fly out due to the disruption that has been caused by international airspace restrictions across parts of West Asia following American and Israeli strikes on Iran.

The situation has forced multiple airlines to avoid routes the Gulf region. ICC's airline partner is Emirates and they are unable to operate due to shutdown of Dubai airspace.

"We understand that players, coaches, support staff and their families who have completed their ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 campaigns are anxious to return home. That they have not yet been able to do so is a source of genuine frustration, and the International Cricket Council shares that frustration," the world body said.

"The delay is the direct result of the ongoing crisis across the Gulf region, which has caused widespread and continuing disruption to international air travel, including airspace closures, missile warnings, re-routing constraints, as well as the cancellation and rescheduling of both commercial and charter flights at short notice.

"These are conditions entirely outside the ICC's control, and they have made each travel solution significantly more complex and time-consuming than under normal circumstances."

The ICC said it is continuing to liaise with tour operators and airlines to ensure that all players reach home safely.

"The ICC has been engaged continuously with airlines, charter operators, airport authorities, ground handlers, and government stakeholders across multiple jurisdictions to secure safe homeward travel for all affected groups as quickly as possible. That work remains ongoing.

"Throughout this period, the ICC's overriding priority has been the safety and welfare of everyone affected, including players travelling with spouses and young children. We will not move people until we are satisfied that the travel solution in place is safe, and that commitment will not change," it said.

The ICC also urged the respective cricket boards and players to remain patient as it works to find the best possible solutions amid the evolving situation in the Middle East.

"We thank all players, management, boards and partners for their continued patience and cooperation in an exceptionally difficult situation. Our teams are working around the clock and remain in constant contact with team managers as circumstances continue to develop. We will continue to provide updates as the situation evolves."