The West Indies team, which has been stranded in Kolkata due to the crisis in West Asia that has seen air spaces being closed, are set to fly out soon with the International Cricket Council (ICC) finalising alternate arrangements. The Indian Express understands that the team will take a chartered flight back home via London soon.
After being eliminated from the T20 World Cup following their defeat to India last Sunday, the West Indian players have been stationed in Kolkata. Their head coach Darren Sammy took to X and posted: “I just wanna go home.” And a while later followed with another post which read: “At least an update, tell us something. Today, tmw, next week. It’s been five days.”
As soon as the crisis emerged, the ICC had said they would be making alternate arrangements for teams to head back. And while it has taken a few days, it is understood that the West Indies team has been informed about their new plans, which will see them take a chartered flight from Kolkata to London, with sources in the ICC confirming the developments. Even Sammy confirmed it via X on Thursday evening: “Got an update. That’s all WI wanted.”
What is not clear at this stage is whether all the West Indian players will head home. Since the IPL is around the corner and the franchises are beginning their preparatory camps, it is likely that some of them could stay back in India. It is understood that, in the likelihood of England losing the semifinals, they will join the West Indies in the flight to London.
Meanwhile, members of the Zimbabwe squad, who have also been stranded in India, are already returning home in batches. While they were supposed to go back on March 2, they stayed put in India and have left in batches. It is not clear how they are travelling.
Similarly, South Africa, which has been knocked out after losing the semifinal to New Zealand on Wednesday, are still awaiting details on their return flight details. There is a strong likelihood that like Zimbabwe, they could return in batches and will remain in Kolkata until further notice.
