Zimbabwe cricket team’s return home has been delayed and they have become the first team in the T20 World Cup to be affected by the closure of airspaces in the Middle East. They will now remain in India for the foreseeable future after their T20 World Cup campaign ended today in New Delhi.
For the unversed, they lost to South Africa by five wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi and were due to take the Emirates flight on Monday. According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, the Zimbabwe contingent was due to return home in batches, with some also leaving at 4:30 AM on Monday morning. They were booked on the Emirates flight, and there was a stopover in Dubai on their way to Harare. But now, the tournament organisers have been exploring alternative routes and airlines as well.ย
“No, not that I’ve heard of.ย When we started the game, there was nothing. And now we’ve just been focused on the game, so I’ve not heard anything since,”Zimbabwe’s coach Justin Sammons said when asked if there was clarity over the team’s travel plans.
Pakistan reach Lahore from Colombo
Meanwhile, Pakistan have reached Lahore from Colombo via a Sri Lankan Airlines flight. They played their final Super 8 game on Saturday against Sri Lanka and were knocked out of the tournament after winning only by five runs. On Saturday, ICC released an official statement saying that they have been monitoring the situation as it evolves and that they have also activated a contingency plan.
“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 upon concluding their commitments at the event.
“The ICC Travel and Logistics team is actively working with major international carriers to identify and secure alternative routing options, including connections through European, South Asian and South-East Asian hubs. The ICC security consultants are liaising with relevant authorities and will provide real-time advisories as the situation develops. A dedicated ICC Travel Support Desk has also been activated,” ICC said in a statement.
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