ICC Blames Gulf Conflict for World Cup Travel Chaos, Denies Bias Claims

The ICC aimed at quelling rising frustrations among players and addressing allegations of preferential treatment, the governing body cited the "ongoing crisis across the Gulf region" as the sole cause for the travel delays.

Some of the teams remained stuck in India after the T20 World Cup campaign due to ongoing airspace restrictions in the wake of the conflict in the Middle East and West Asia.

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

"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 has been engaged continuously 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," ICC said in a media release.

Among affected teams are the West Indies and the South Africa. The West Indies played their final match of the tournament on March 1 but are still in India, while South Africa have also been unable to leave after their semifinal defeat to New Zealand on March 4.

"On current arrangements, the South Africa contingent will begin departing for South Africa tonight, with all members expected to have departed within the next 36 hours. Of the West Indies contingent, nine members are already travelling to the Caribbean, while the remaining 16 are booked on flights departing India within the next 24 hours. We will provide updates on further departures as confirmed arrangements are in place," it added.

However, questions were raised after England were able to get back to the UK last Saturday after their semifinal exit, using a charter flight from Mumbai even as the West Indies remained stranded in Kolkata for over a week after their Super 8 exit. South Africa too remain in India ahead of a proposed travel plan on Tuesday.

"The ICC rejects any suggestion that these decisions have been driven by anything other than safety, feasibility and welfare. Suggestions otherwise across a variety of media platforms from people uninformed of the situation are as unhelpful as they are incorrect.

"There is no link between arrangements made in the cases of 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," the ICC clarify.

It concluded, "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.

"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."

- IANS