Travel plans for West Indies and South Africa changed due to West Asia airspace restrictions; teams set to fly out of Kolkata early Tuesday

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The national teams of West Indies cricket team and South Africa national cricket team are set to leave India in the early hours of Tuesday, March 10, after facing unexpected travel delays following their exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Both teams have been staying in Kolkata since their elimination from the tournament and will now depart on a charter flight bound for Johannesburg. From there, the West Indies squad will continue their journey onward to Antigua.

Originally, the teams were scheduled to leave India on Sunday, March 8, but their travel plans were disrupted due to airspace closures and restrictions across parts of West Asia amid an ongoing regional crisis. Confirmation of the revised travel arrangements was provided to the teams on Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile, three South African players — Keshav Maharaj, Jason Smith, and George Linde — along with the entire team management, are scheduled to depart India earlier on Sunday. They will head directly to New Zealand, where South Africa will play a five-match T20I series beginning on March 15.

The unexpected delay has caused frustration within both camps. The West Indies squad has remained in Kolkata since losing to India national cricket team in the Super Eight stage on March 1, while South Africa have been waiting to depart after their semi-final defeat to New Zealand national cricket team on March 4.

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy publicly expressed his frustration about the travel uncertainty on social media platform X. Several South African players, including Quinton de Kock and David Miller, also voiced their concerns on Instagram.

Earlier reports suggested that a charter flight would be arranged on Thursday, but those plans did not materialize at the time. In a statement released the same day, Cricket West Indies confirmed that travel arrangements were discussed during a high-level meeting involving officials from the International Cricket Council, representatives of the team management, and players’ representatives.

“CWI has remained in constant dialogue with the players, team management, and the International Cricket Council since their last match against India,” the statement said. “While the situation remains complex and fluid due to international airspace restrictions arising from security concerns in the Gulf region, every precaution is being taken to ensure the safe return of the team to the Caribbean.”

Meanwhile, the England national cricket team successfully departed India earlier, leaving Mumbai on Saturday evening on a direct flight to London.

The incident highlights the logistical challenges international teams have faced during the tournament due to evolving geopolitical situations and global travel disruptions.