Some West Indies cricketers remain stranded in Kolkata after charter flight cancelled
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Some members of the West Indies and South Africa cricket teams remain stranded in Kolkata after a charter flight arranged to take them home was cancelled Tuesday due to airspace clearance issues amid ongoing tensions in the West Asia region.
The two teams had been scheduled to share a charter flight to Johannesburg, with the West Indies continuing to St John’s from there.
However, in a turn of events, the International Cricket Council has opted to book separate commercial flights for the stranded teams.
Reports indicate that West Indies head coach Daren Sammy was already on his way home, having left Monday night.
Around 12 West Indies players, along with 10 members of the support staff, remain in India, while the South African contingent includes 12 players and two members of support staff.
The two teams played their final games in Kolkata but were unable to fly out due to disruptions caused by international airspace restrictions across parts of West Asia following American and Israeli strikes on Iran.
The situation forced multiple airlines to avoid routes through the Gulf region.
The ICC’s airline partner, Emirates, has been unable to operate due to the shutdown of Dubai.
