T20 World Cup 2026: West Indies, Zimbabwe Squads Stranded in India After Middle East Airspace Closure

Cricket West Indies (CWI) issued a statement on the delayed departure of their tier men’s team following their exit from the T20 World Cup 2026. Due to the military action in the Gulf countries, the international airspace in the region has been closed. 

In their statement, CWI explained that the team is currently accommodated in India and remains safe. The cricket board explained how they are closely working with the International Cricket Council (ICC), government authorities, and the airline partners. 

CWI’s Statement on the situation

CWI talked about the importance of the safety of their players and officials. CWI said, “The safety and well-being of our players, coaches, and officials remain our highest priority.” Talking about the restrictions, CWI said, “These restrictions are a direct result of the security threats posed by military action in the Gulf Region, which has impacted several international flight routes and required airlines to adjust scheduled services for safety reasons.”

ICC acknowledges the situation

ICC talked about the importance of the airspace in Gulf countries and the airport in Dubai. In their statement the cricket authority said, “While the crisis in the Middle East has no direct bearing on the conduct of the tournament, the ICC acknowledges that a significant number of personnel — including players, team management, match officials, broadcast teams, and event staff — rely on Gulf hub airports, particularly Dubai (DXB), as key transit points for onward travel to their home countries.”

Zimbabwe team is stuck in Delhi

Along with the West Indies, the Zimbabwe team too is stuck in India following their last game in Delhi. On Sunday, Zimbabwe lost to South Africa at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Following their loss, the Sikandar Raza-led team was supposed to return to their country. The board released a statement on the situation as well.

“Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) confirms that the Zimbabwe senior men’s team remains safe and well in India following the conclusion of their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. The squad was scheduled to return home via Dubai, but travel plans have been affected by the evolving situation in the Middle East, which has disrupted key transit routes,” ZC said.

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