A combination picture of the South African and West Indies teams at the recently concluded World Cup | Photo Credit: Neeladri Bhattacharjee _11527

 The South African and West Indian cricket teams are on their way home, over a week after their exit from the ICC T20 cricket tournament. The teams were stuck in India as the ongoing West Asia conflict has disrupted air travel globally.

In a statement on Wednesday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said four South Africa players and five family members have boarded flights and are making their way home, with the 29 remaining members of their contingent scheduled to depart in the next 24 hours.

“Of the West Indies contingent, nine members have departed for the Caribbean, while the remaining 16 are booked on flights departing India in the next 12 hours,” it said.

ICC said the delay in travel was entirely outside it’s control and is managing all additional logistics, including accommodation, as a result of travel disruption.

India beat West Indies on March 1 to advance to the semi-finals. South Africa lost to New Zealand in the semis on March 4.

The two teams’ extended stay in India had led to allegations of bias, with some current and former players alleging that the England team’s early departure was because of its clout. ICC has denied the charges and said travel decisions have been guided by safety and feasibility.

On Tuesday, Cricket West Indies had said a charter flight to transport it's team was repeatedly delayed, resulting in a nine-day wait in India, and hence seats were booked on available commercial flights.

Published on March 11, 2026