South Africa and West Indies cricket team (Agency Image) Former England captain Michael Vaughan has criticized what he says are unequal treatment of teams following their withdrawal from the 2026 Men’s World T20, pointing out that some sides are still stuck in India while others have already been allowed to leave.England crashed out of the tournament after losing the semi-final to the Indian national cricket team on Thursday. According to Vaughan, the England side are set to return home on a chartered flight soon after the defeat.
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However, the situation is very different for other teams. The West Indies cricket team, who were eliminated after a five-wicket loss to India in the Super Eights last Sunday, are still waiting for their return trip in Kolkata. The South African national cricket team was also stranded in the same city after their semi-final defeat to the New Zealand national cricket team on 4 March.Turning to X, Vaughan questioned the disparity and suggested that influence at the International Cricket Council’s global level should not dictate how teams are treated when they leave the tournament.“So England were knocked out on Thursday, get a charter home today… West Indies went out last Sunday and they are still in Calcutta… SA in the same position… The strength there is completely wrong… All teams in this situation should be treated equally… just because you are stronger at the ICC table shouldn’t count…,” wrote Vaughan.
contributed by Michael Vaughan
Travel complications are largely due to ICC-organized charter flights being affected by international airspace restrictions related to security concerns in the Persian Gulf region amid ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran.Frustration at the delay was also visible in the West Indies camp. Head coach Daren Sammy recently shared a short but telling message on X that reflected the mood of the team. The former West Indies captain wrote: “I want to go home.”The tournament is now nearing its conclusion, with defending champions India’s national cricket team taking on the New Zealand national cricket team in the final on Sunday in Ahmedabad. The competition started on February 7 across locations in India and Sri Lanka.
