Dubai, March 11 The ICC has expressed sympathy for West Indies and South African players over their "genuine frustration" at being unable to fly home after the T20 World Cup due to the West Asia conflict, rejecting "suggestions that these decisions have been driven by anything other than the safety, feasibility, and welfare of the teams."
Providing details of the travel schedule, the ICC said the Proteas contingent will begin departing for home on Wednesday night, with all members expected to leave within the next 36 hours.
Nine West Indies players have already left, while the remaining 16 have been booked on commercial flights departing from India within the next 24 hours, said the ICC.
"We will provide updates on further departures as confirmed arrangements are in place," said the ICC in a statement.
The ICC on Tuesday booked separate commercial flights for the stranded West Indies and South Africa teams after their charter flight, scheduled to take off from Kolkata, was cancelled due to logistical issues.
"The ICC rejects any suggestion that these decisions have been driven by anything other than safety, feasibility, and welfare. Suggestions otherwise, from various media platforms, from people uninformed of the situation, are as unhelpful as they are incorrect," said the world governing body of cricket.
"There is no link between the arrangements made for South Africa and the West Indies and those made previously for England or any other nation, which arose from separate circumstances, routing options, and different travel conditions," it added.
The two teams played their final games in Kolkata (West Indies in the Super 8s on March 1 and South Africa on March 4 in the semi-final). They have not been able to fly out due to the disruption caused by international airspace restrictions across parts of West Asia following American and Israeli strikes on Iran.
The situation has forced multiple airlines to avoid routes in the Gulf region. The ICC's airline partner is Emirates, and they are unable to operate due to the closure of Dubai airspace.
"We understand that players, coaches, support staff, and their families who have completed their ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 campaigns are anxious to return home. The fact that they have not yet been able to do so is a source of genuine frustration, and the International Cricket Council shares that frustration," said the world body.
"The delay is the direct result of the ongoing crisis across the Gulf region, which has caused widespread and continuing disruption to international air travel, including airspace closures, missile warnings, re-routing constraints, as well as the cancellation and rescheduling of both commercial and charter flights at short notice."
"These are conditions entirely outside the ICC's control, and they have made each travel solution significantly more complex and time-consuming than under normal circumstances."
The ICC said it is continuing to liaise with tour operators and airlines to ensure that all players reach home safely.
"The ICC has been continuously engaged 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. That work remains ongoing."
"Throughout this period, the ICC's overriding priority has been the safety and welfare of everyone affected, including players travelling with spouses and young children. We will not move people until we are satisfied that the travel solution in place is safe, and that commitment will not change," it said.
The ICC also urged the respective cricket boards and players to remain patient as it works to find the best possible solutions amid the evolving situation in the Middle East.
"We thank all players, management, boards, and partners for their continued patience and cooperation in an exceptionally difficult situation. Our teams are working around the clock and remain in constant contact with team managers as circumstances continue to develop. We will continue to provide updates as the situation evolves."