South Africa captain Aiden Markram, left, and West Indies captain Shai Hope. (AP photo) NEW DELHI: The latest batch of players and support staff from South Africa and the West Indies have finally left India after days of travel uncertainty caused by airspace closures related to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed on Thursday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!The crisis unfolded after airspace over key transit hubs, including Dubai, was closed due to escalating tensions in West Asia, disrupting international travel routes and leaving both teams stranded in Kolkata following their campaigns for the 2026 Men’s World T20 Cup.South Africa and West Indies played their final matches of the tournament in Kolkata on 4 March and 1 March, respectively, but were unable to depart as scheduled due to widespread flight cancellations and logistical hurdles.
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According to the ICC, the remaining members of both contingents have now safely started their journey home.“Over the past 24 hours, the remaining 29 members of South Africa and the final 16 members of the West Indies have departed on flights to their home countries, completing a complex operation that took place under extremely challenging global travel conditions,” the ICC said in a statement.The governing body added that its top priority throughout the situation was to ensure the safety of all players and staff while navigating rapidly changing travel conditions.“Ensuring safe onward travel for all players and staff was the sole objective,” the ICC said, adding that the measures required constant adjustments as the situation evolved.“During this period, ICC’s operational and logistics teams have worked around the clock with governments, airlines, charter service providers, airport authorities and our member councils to address a range of operational disruptions caused by the evolving environment.”While nine West Indies players managed to fly out earlier in the week, the remaining 16 traveled on commercial flights along with the 29-member South African contingent.The situation drew criticism from several quarters.The ICC’s airline partner Emirates was unable to operate flights following the closure of airspace over Dubai, which served as a major transit hub for players heading home.
