Major update on South Africa, West Indies travel plans after T20 World Cup exit

West Indies and South African cricketers have finally received confirmation of their long-awaited travel plans from India, bringing an end to days of uncertainty and frustration in the wake of their respective T20 World Cup eliminations.

Both squads, which have been stranded in Kolkata since their tournament exits last week, are scheduled to depart on a charter flight in the early hours of Tuesday morning. 

The flight will take them to Johannesburg, from where the West Indies contingent will then continue on to Antigua.

The development comes after a period of confusion for the teams, who had initially been told they would leave on Sunday, 8 March. The revised itinerary was only confirmed to the players and management on Sunday afternoon.

While the majority of the two squads endure the extended wait, a handful of South Africa’s contingent will make a swift exit from India on Sunday evening.

Spinner Keshav Maharaj, along with Jason Smith and George Linde, will fly out alongside the entire team management. They are heading directly to New Zealand to prepare for a five-match T20I series, which gets underway on 15 March.

The logistical nightmare stems from the ongoing crisis in West Asia, which has led to the closure or severe restriction of key airspaces, forcing a complete overhaul of the scheduled commercial routes. 

The knock-on effect has left players from both camps growing increasingly agitated by the delay.

West Indies have been based in Kolkata since their defeat to India in the Super Eight stage on 1 March. South Africa’s stay in the city was extended following their semi-final loss to New Zealand on 4 March.

The mounting frustration has been palpable on social media. West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his discontent, while several South African stars, including Quinton de Kock and David Miller, have been openly critical on Instagram.

For the West Indies, the wait has been particularly fraught with false hope. Reports emerged on Thursday suggesting a charter flight had been secured, only for those plans to fall through. 

A subsequent statement from Cricket West Indies (CWI) clarified that the initial hope followed a "high-level call" involving CWI, ICC officials, a team management representative, and a players' representative.

"CWI has remained in constant dialogue with the players, team management, and the International Cricket Council since their last match against India," the statement said. 

"While the situation remains complex and fluid due to international airspace restrictions arising from security concerns in the Gulf region, CWI assures the public that every precaution is being taken to ensure the safe return of the team to the Caribbean," the statement added.

In contrast, the England team, who were based in Mumbai, faced no such delays. They departed for London directly on Saturday evening.