International Cricket Council confirms travel update as players leave India following prolonged delays caused by West Asia airspace disruptions

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Players and support staff from West Indies cricket team and South Africa national cricket team will return home on commercial flights after repeated delays to a planned charter service, according to an update from the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed that arrangements have been made for members of the West Indies squad and coaching staff to depart India on various commercial flights after being stranded in Kolkata since their exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on March 1. The delay was largely caused by disruptions in global air travel linked to the ongoing crisis in West Asia, which affected charter flight operations.

CWI stated that some players and staff had already secured flights and begun their journey home, while the remaining members were scheduled to depart on Tuesday and Wednesday.

South Africa’s squad, whose World Cup campaign ended on March 4, is also set to leave India beginning Wednesday night. The ICC indicated that all members of the South African team are expected to exit the country within 36 hours.

In a statement, CWI said that the ICC typically manages travel and accommodation arrangements for all teams participating in ICC World Cups. However, the charter flight planned to transport both squads faced multiple delays due to evolving aviation regulations and global tensions.

After waiting in India for nine days following the end of their tournament campaign, the West Indies team decided it was no longer practical to rely on the uncertain charter arrangements. As a result, CWI worked alongside the ICC, players, and other partners to arrange commercial flights to ensure the safe return of the squad.

Originally, both teams were scheduled to depart India over the weekend. On March 8, the ICC informed them that a charter flight had been arranged to depart Kolkata at 2:30am on March 10. The flight was expected to stop in Johannesburg before continuing to St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda.

However, the ICC later informed the teams that the flight had been cancelled. A second charter scheduled for 2pm on Tuesday was also called off after airports at both destinations issued a notice preventing ad-hoc charter flights from refueling until further notice.

The travel disruptions stemmed from the ongoing West Asia crisis, which has forced several countries to restrict or close sections of their airspace, significantly impacting international aviation routes.

Over the past week, several players and staff members from both teams expressed frustration on social media about being stuck in India long after their World Cup campaigns had ended. With commercial travel now arranged, the squads are finally set to return home after an unexpected extended stay.