ICC issues update on team travel amid Middle East tensions
DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has moved to reassure players and support staff stranded in India following the Men’s T20 World Cup, confirming that repatriation flights are now underway amid ongoing disruption to air travel caused by heightened Middle East tensions.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the governing body acknowledged the “genuine frustration” felt by players, coaches, and their families who have been unable to return home after completing their campaigns.
The delay, it explained, is a direct consequence of the escalating crisis across the Gulf region, which has thrown international aviation into chaos.
The ICC detailed that the disruption includes airspace closures, re-routing constraints, and the large-scale cancellation and rescheduling of both commercial and charter flights at short notice.
It stressed that these conditions are “entirely outside the ICC’s control” and have rendered each travel solution “significantly more complex and time-consuming.”
“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,” the statement read. “That work remains ongoing.”
The council confirmed that the South Africa contingent is scheduled to begin its journey home from tonight, with all members expected to have departed within the next 36 hours.
Meanwhile, nine members of the West Indies squad are already en route to the Caribbean, with the remaining 16 players booked on flights departing India within the next 24 hours. Further updates on other teams will be provided as arrangements are finalised.
The ICC strongly refuted suggestions in certain media that its decisions have been influenced by factors other than safety and welfare.
It emphasised that there is no link between the arrangements made for South Africa and the West Indies and those made previously for England, stating that each case involved “separate circumstances, routing options and different travel conditions.”
“The ICC rejects any suggestion that these decisions have been driven by anything other than safety, feasibility and welfare,” the statement added. “Suggestions otherwise across a variety of media platforms from people uninformed of the situation are as unhelpful as they are incorrect.”
Reiterating its commitment to those affected, including players travelling with spouses and young children, the ICC confirmed its teams are working around the clock and remain in constant contact with team managers as the situation develops. Sports Desk
