ICC Clarifies Travel Choices for South Africa and West Indies Are Safety-Driven

ICC Rejects Bias Claims, Says South Africa and West Indies Travel Plans Based on Safety

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday, March 11, dismissed allegations of bias in the travel arrangements for South Africa and the West Indies, stating that decisions regarding both teams were based solely on safety, feasibility and player welfare.

Both teams have remained stranded in India after their T20 World Cup campaigns ended earlier this month, largely due to travel disruptions caused by rising military tensions in West Asia. In a statement, the ICC confirmed that the South African contingent will begin departing India within hours and that all members are expected to leave within the next 36 hours.

“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,” the ICC said. The governing body also confirmed that nine members of the West Indies squad have already begun their journey back to the Caribbean, while the remaining 16 players and staff are scheduled to depart India within the next 24 hours.

The West Indies team has been based in Kolkata since their Super Eight defeat to India at Eden Gardens on March 1, while South Africa have also remained in the city following their semifinal loss at the same venue on March 4. Travel complications intensified after a charter flight arranged to carry both teams out of Kolkata was cancelled when authorities failed to grant the required airspace clearance. The original plan was for both squads to fly together to Johannesburg, from where the West Indies contingent would continue onward to Antigua.

However, international airspace restrictions linked to the ongoing tensions in West Asia disrupted those plans and made it difficult to secure a direct route home.

ICC Denies Favoritism

Responding to criticism on social media, the ICC strongly rejected claims that certain teams were being treated preferentially. “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,” the statement said.

The criticism intensified after England were able to leave India soon after their semifinal defeat in Mumbai. Several social media users — including former England captain Michael Vaughan — questioned why South Africa and the West Indies had not been able to depart earlier.

The ICC clarified that the situations were unrelated and depended on different travel routes, logistics and prevailing conditions. “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 governing body added that ensuring the safety of players and their families remained the top priority. “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.”

With the latest arrangements now in place, the prolonged travel uncertainty for the South Africa and West Indies squads is expected to end soon.