Because of the war tensions in West Asia, international travel has seen a significant disruption, and many sports teams have been affected all over the world. In a recent development, after the West Indies finished their participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 tournament, they would now find themselves unable to leave India at this time due to those travel disruptions.
As a result of this situation, cricket officials have had to find alternate means to allow the West Indies’ players to return home now that they are unable to do so by other means.
Due to the frequent delays in the charter flights arranged by the International Cricket Council, the Cricket West Indies board has decided to make alternative arrangements for the return of the team through commercial flights.
West Indies Players Stranded in Kolkata After T20 World Cup Exit
After being eliminated from the tournament on March 1, the West Indies cricket team members stayed in Kolkata, awaiting travel arrangements, which were to be organized by the ICC.
However, the War Tensions in the West Asia region resulted in disruptions in aviation routes, which affected airport operations as well. This resulted in delays in the charter flight, which was supposed to carry both West Indies and South Africa national cricket team players back to their home nations. As the situation dragged on over the course of several days, the situation was frustrating for the cricket teams.
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Cricket West Indies Arranges Commercial Flights for Players
In order to resolve this problem, Cricket West Indies stepped in and facilitated the provision of commercial air travel for the team.
As per the official statement of the board:
- Some of the players and staff have already left India.
- The rest are expected to leave India on the 10th and 11th of March, 2026.
- The plans for air travel were made with the help of CWI, players, and partners in association with the ICC.
The board stated that the main reason for abandoning the charter flight plans for the West Indies team was the health and safety of the West Indies players and staff.
Charter Flight Plans Cancelled Multiple Times
Initially, it was planned to take off from Kolkata at 2:30 AM on March 10.
The route planned for this flight was:
- Stopover in Johannesburg
- Final Destination – Antigua
However, this route had to be changed when it was learned that the charter flight had been canceled several times due to restrictions on flights due to War Tensions. Later, it was learned that the flight was to take off at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, but this flight was also canceled. The airport at the destination had issued a notice restricting ad-hoc charter flights from refueling.
South Africa Squad Still Awaiting Travel Clarity
While the West Indies players are leaving through commercial flights, it is still uncertain when the South Africa squad will be leaving. The South African cricket team had left later on March 4, and like the Indian team, they were also waiting in India for their flight arrangements. As of now, there is no official confirmation regarding their departure plans.
Players Express Frustration Over Travel Delays
For more than a week now, both the West Indies and South Africa team squads stayed stuck in India even after their tournaments in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup concluded.
Players from both teams expressed their frustration through social media about how these tensions by war situation is causing them a lot of inconvenience. The International Cricket Council has yet to come up with a statement on this growing situation.
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