ICC denies unfair treatment of squads stranded in India after T20 World Cup amid Middle East crisis

Cricket’s governing body on Wednesday rejected suggestions of unequal treatment after the West Indies and South Africa squads were stranded in India for more than a week following the T20 World Cup.

Airlines have cancelled or rerouted flights because of the war in the Middle East, throwing international travel into chaos.

Cricket West Indies said on Tuesday its squad had waited nine days for a charter flight that was “repeatedly delayed”, calling the uncertainty “increasingly distressing”.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan also criticised the situation, noting on social media that England departed 36 hours after their semi-final exit last week while the West Indies and South Africa remained in Kolkata more than a week after being knocked out of the tournament.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said it “rejects any suggestion that these decisions have been driven by anything other than safety, feasibility and welfare”.

“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,” it said in a statement.

“That they have not yet been able to do so is a source of genuine frustration, and the International Cricket Council shares that frustration.”

It also said there was no comparison between arrangements for South Africa and the West Indies and those made for England, “which arose from separate circumstances, routing options and different travel conditions”.

All members of the South Africa contingent are expected to leave within 36 hours, the ICC said.

South Africa’s World Cup ended on March 4.

Nine West Indies players and staff were already travelling to the Caribbean, with the remaining 16 booked on flights departing India within 24 hours, the ICC said.

West Indies exited the competition on March 1.