The International Cricket Council (ICC) has finally responded to the criticism surrounding the travel chaos that has left several teams stranded in India after the T20 World Cup 2026.
For days, players from the West Indies and South Africa have been stuck in Kolkata following the end of their campaigns, with charter flights cancelled and international routes disrupted due to the ongoing military tensions across the Gulf region. Even Zimbabwe players were stuck before they were able to fly home, with the ICC arranging a charter flight.
With frustration building among players and questions raised by figures like Michael Vaughan and Quinton de Kock, the ICC on Wednesday issued a detailed statement explaining the circumstances behind the delays.
ICC says crisis in Gulf region caused travel disruption
According to the ICC, the travel complications are directly linked to the volatile situation in West Asia, which has caused widespread disruption to international aviation.
“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 (ICC) shares that frustration,” the ICC said in a statement.
“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.”
Departures finally being arranged by ICC
Despite the challenges, the ICC confirmed that travel arrangements are now gradually falling into place for the affected squads.
“On current arrangements, the South Africa contingent will begin departing for South Africa tonight, with all members expected to have departed within the next 36 hours. Of the West Indies contingent, nine members are already travelling to the Caribbean, while the remaining 16 are booked on flights departing India within the next 24 hours.”
Earlier, the ICC had arranged commercial flights for players after a charter flight scheduled from Kolkata was cancelled due to logistical issues.
The ICC also rejected claims that certain teams were given preferential treatment over others.
“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. 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.”
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