West Indies celebrate (Getty Images) MUMBAI: Forced to stay back in India after their T20 World Cup campaign ended, the West Indies team could finally fly home on a chartered flight on Friday with the help of the International Cricket Council, TOI has learnt.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!West Indies and Zimbabwe departures were delayed after the situation in West Asia led to widespread flight cancellations and airspace closures, disrupting key transit hubs. “The West Indies are likely to fly back home on a chartered flight on Friday with the help of the ICC. The details of that chartered flight are being worked out,” the source said.
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Another source said ICC chairman Jay Shah, CEO Sanjog Gupta and head of events were in regular contact with Cricket West Indies and the team management to ensure a safe return.West Indies head coach Darren Sammy wrote on X on Wednesday, “I want to go home,” reflecting the team’s frustration at being stuck in Kolkata. The Caribbean side was scheduled to make an early exit after losing their last Super 8 match against India in Kolkata.Late on Thursday, Cricket West Indies (CWI) issued a statement confirming the development. “During a high-level call today, it was confirmed that a charter flight is currently being prepared for the departure of the team from India with an expected departure scheduled within the next 24 hours. The time of departure remains subject to final air traffic approval,” the statement said.Zimbabwe is leaving in batchesZimbabwe, who were also stranded after leaving the Super 8, started returning home in batches after the ICC arranged alternative routes following the cancellation of their flight via Dubai. The team is traveling to Harare via Addis Ababa, with the first group leaving on Wednesday and the last group scheduled to depart on Friday afternoon, Zimbabwe Cricket said.Another South AfricaThe ICC is also working on South Africa’s comeback tour after their semi-final loss to New Zealand. The source said the team would most likely fly via Ethiopian Airlines, with Emirates and Etihad gradually resuming routes.
