South Africa and the West Indies are reportedly traveling to Johannesburg, South Africa, today (Tuesday, at the time of writing). The West Indies cricket team will return to their country upon landing, following their elimination from the T20 World Cup 2026 last week. Their defeats came at the hands of a resurgent All Blacks (New Zealand) and the Men in Blue (India), respectively. However, returning home has proven difficult, as the recent war between the United States (US) and Iran has created hazards across Western Asia, leading to the shutdown of airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central (DWC) have resumed operations with limited flights, while Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi has also partially reopened.
According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, both the South Africa and West Indies teams will leave for Johannesburg in the wee hours of Tuesday. West Indies will then fly to Antigua from Johannesburg. Keshav Maharaj, George Linde and Jason Smith, three of South Africa’s players, will leave India on Sunday and will travel to New Zealand. South Africa are scheduled to face New Zealand in a five-match T20I series starting from 15 March. Both South Africa and West Indies have been frustrated with the uncertain travel plans. West Indies have remained in Kolkata since 1 March, when they lost to India in the Super 8s and were knocked out. South Africa, too, were knocked out, by New Zealand in the semi-final that took place in Kolkata on 4 March.
West Indies head coach Daren Sammy had vented his frustration over lack of clarity on travel plans, and so also did South Africa’s Quinton de Kock and David Miller. The Windies were reportedly set to fly back home via a charter flight on Thursday, but that plan didn’t materialise.
The loss to the All Blacks was a setback for South Africa’s winning streak. Once again, two of the cricket world’s toughest teams faced each other, with only one emerging victorious. The Proteas were never going to have an easy win against the All Blacks. In the end, one professional team held its ground better than the other—and it was not the Proteas.
The West Indies experienced a similar outcome. Between the South African and West Indies national teams, their skills and knowledge of runs, balls, and wickets were not enough. Now both the Proteas and the “Windies” will return to their countries to train for a new series of test matches to prove their talent. The training may not be pleasant, but it will be a true test of strength.
Officials from the South African and West Indies cricket boards may have to take a direct flight from Kolkata, India, to Johannesburg—a long journey. No one wants to risk traveling over Gulf-region airspace, given the danger of the protracted war unfolding there.
It drew immense criticism from several voices. Former England captain Michael Vaughan said the ‘more powerful’ ECB was treated differently from the Proteas and the Windies. South Africa stars Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram directly chastised the world body on social media. “The safety and well-being of players, support staff, officials, and our own workforce remain our absolute priority as we respond to the evolving situation affecting air travel across parts of the Middle East. The current disruption to multiple airspaces has created a highly complex and fast-moving logistical challenge,” the ICC said in a statement. “Decisions on departure sequencing are being driven solely by airspace availability, aircraft routing permissions, visa requirements and operational safety considerations. Any suggestion that teams have been prioritised based on anything other than these constraints is incorrect,” it added.
While it must be acknowledged that no one could have anticipated the war in Iran, professional cricketing and other sporting establishments must brace themselves for the unexpected. The teams’ flights will be delayed as they prepare for upcoming tournaments, albeit after a much longer journey. South Africa and the West Indies may face each other again in another tournament. The safety and well-being of the teams, their staff, officials, and personnel are being taken into account. These matters require patience.
The current delays in air travel across the Gulf and Indian Ocean–Pacific regions are reverberating across borders, with no end in sight. Once again, it should be emphasized that the cricket teams of the Proteas and the Windies will arrive in Johannesburg for a series of Test matches.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
