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The last batch of South African and West Indian players stranded in India after the T20 World Cup departed, the ICC announced on Thursday, March 12, ending a crisis caused by the closure of Gulf airspace amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.

The ongoing conflict between the USA-Israel and Iran disrupted travel plans, leaving the South African and West Indies teams stranded in Kolkata due to airspace closures and airport restrictions at key transit hubs like Dubai.

The West Indies and South Africa played their final T20 World Cup matches in Kolkata on March 1 and March 4, respectively.

Flights resume for West Indies and South Africa

While nine West Indies players had departed earlier this week, the remaining 16 were booked on commercial flights. A 29-member Proteas contingent has also left India.

“Within the past 24 hours, South Africa’s remaining 29 members and the West Indies’ final 16 members have departed on flights to their respective homelands, bringing to a close a complex operation that has taken place under exceptionally challenging global travel conditions,” the ICC said.

The ICC added that ensuring the “safe onward travel for all players and staff was the sole aim,” which required constant adjustments as conditions evolved.

ICC faces criticism over travel management

The governing body had earlier drawn criticism from Quinton de Kock and David Miller, who suggested England players received better travel arrangements, leaving India within a day of their semifinal exit.

Earlier, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy had also expressed frustration at the lack of updates after a charter flight from Kolkata was canceled due to logistical issues.

“Throughout this period, the ICC’s operations and logistics teams have worked continuously with governments, airlines, charter providers, airport authorities and our Member boards to navigate a number of operational disruptions caused by the evolving environment,” the ICC said.

The ICC’s airline partner, Emirates, has been unable to operate flights following the closure of airspace over Dubai.

Strong tournaments but disappointing finishes

Meanwhile, both teams had eventful campaigns in the tournament. The Proteas reached the semifinals, where they were crushed by New Zealand, before being unbeaten throughout the competition.

It was a disappointing end for the Proteas after looking like one of the most solid and balanced sides during the tournament, but they crumbled under pressure in the knockout stage.

West Indies also showed plenty of promise and impressed with their batting performances throughout the tournament. They looked like a strong side until the Super 8 stage, where they suffered back-to-back defeats against South Africa and India, which eventually brought their journey to an end.