The ICC arranged separate commercial flights for the stranded West Indies and South Africa cricket teams after their scheduled charter flight from Kolkata was “cancelled due to logistical issues,” reported
PTI on Tuesday.
“All the West Indies and South African players have been booked on individual commercial airline flights. Obviously, not all can be booked on the same airlines, but ICC has taken care of individual bookings. ICC chairman Jay Shah has personally spoken and assured players of a safe journey back home,” PTI quoted an ICC source as saying.
“It must be mentioned that Darren Sammy is already on his way home, having left on Monday night,” the source also informed.
The teams, who played their final matches in Kolkata (West Indies on March 1 and South Africa on March 4), have been unable to depart due to international airspace restrictions over parts of West Asia following American and Israeli strikes on Iran.
These restrictions have forced many airlines to avoid routes through the Gulf, complicating travel from India to the Caribbean and Africa. As a result, the ICC had to explore alternative travel arrangements as its airline partner, Emirates, could not operate due to the closure of Dubai airspace.
Initially, both teams were to leave Kolkata on a shared charter flight to Johannesburg on Tuesday afternoon. From Johannesburg, the West Indies players were to head to Antigua, while the South African players were to continue to their respective destinations.
However, PTI reported that the flight arrangement was called off just hours before departure due to logistical issues.
The West Indies team had been stuck in Kolkata since March 1 after being knocked out of the T20 World Cup by India, who won by five wickets in their Super Eight match at Eden Gardens.
South Africa’s tournament ended a few days later when they lost the first semifinal to eventual runners-up New Zealand at the same venue on March 4, leaving them in the same predicament.
According to PTI, some West Indies players plan to stay in India to join their IPL teams ahead of the tournament starting at the end of the month. Rovman Powell is set to join the Kolkata Knight Riders, who start their camp on March 18, while Sherfane Rutherford will join the Mumbai Indians.
Shimron Hetmyer, representing Rajasthan Royals, and Romario Shepherd, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, are expected to start training from March 15.
(With PTI Inputs)
