West Indies players return home after travel disruption: CWI

New Delhi, 8 April — Cricket West Indies (CWI) has confirmed that every player and support-staff member who represented the West Indies at the recent T20 World Cup is now safely back in the Caribbean, ending a week-long ordeal triggered by the West Asia conflict that paralysed global air travel.

The regional squad completed its campaign in Kolkata on 1 March but found itself grounded after hostilities between US-Israel and Iran forced the closure of key transit hubs, most notably Dubai. With charter and commercial routes abruptly cancelled, 16 squad members and nine travelling reserves were left scrambling for seats on the limited flights still operating out of eastern India.

A CWI statement issued on Saturday said the final group touched down “over the past several days,” closing a logistical loop that had drawn sharp criticism from inside the camp. Head coach Daren Sammy had earlier voiced frustration over the lack of real-time updates from the ICC after an initial charter flight arranged by the global body was scrubbed.

The ICC announced on Thursday that the last batch of West Indies personnel had departed India, a development CWI reiterated while publicly thanking the governing body, regional cricket boards, and commercial airlines for “co-ordinating complex, multi-leg itineraries that ensured the safety of our people.”

“We also thank West Indies fans and the wider cricketing community for their concern and well-wishes,” the release added. “The well-being and safety of our players and staff remain paramount, and we are grateful that the matter has now been brought to a safe and satisfactory conclusion.”

South Africa’s touring party faced similar gridlock in Kolkata, though their return details were not addressed in CWI’s update.