South Africa’s T20 World Cup campaign finally reached its true full stop on Wednesday night as the Proteas squad began departing India after a week stranded in Kolkata. The ICC confirmed all members of the contingent will leave within 36 hours following delays that triggered public frustration from senior players.
Quinton de Kock sparked the row earlier in the week when he posted a pointed message on Instagram. “Funny @icc, we have heard nothing,” he wrote, highlighting that England managed to leave earlier while South Africa and West Indies players remained stuck in travel limbo.
David Miller piled on minutes later with his own dig. “England gets eliminated after WI and SA and gets on a charter back home tonight,” he wrote, questioning why the Proteas still waited for answers in Kolkata. The message landed squarely at the ICC’s door.
The governing body pushed back quickly. Officials insisted the different travel arrangements had “no link” and blamed logistical complications rather than preferential treatment.
According to the ICC, the delays stemmed from the wider aviation crisis across the Gulf region. Airspace closures, missile alerts and last-minute flight cancellations scrambled international routes, forcing organisers to rebuild travel plans almost daily.
That disruption also hit the West Indies squad. Cricket West Indies confirmed nine members of their party had already left on commercial flights, while the remaining players should depart within 24 hours.
The ICC acknowledged the growing frustration inside team hotels. Officials admitted players, staff and families wanted to return home quickly but insisted safety remained the priority. “We will not move people until we are satisfied the travel solution in place is safe,” the statement said, a line that reads like firm crisis management rather than soothing diplomacy.
Behind the scenes, organisers scrambled to coordinate airlines, charter operators and government authorities across multiple jurisdictions. Those negotiations dragged on for days while players waited in Kolkata with bags packed.
