According to reports, the initial plan was to fly the two teams together to Johannesburg on a chartered flight from Kolkata. From there the West Indies players would leave for Antigua and the South African players for their respective destinations. But the charter plane’s plans were canceled hours before takeoff due to “management issues.”

The International Cricket Council then quickly arranged an alternative. Separate commercial flight tickets are booked for all players from West Indies and South Africa. Although it is not possible to send everyone on the same airline, travel arrangements have been made for each player. Chairman of the organization Jai Shah himself spoke to the players and assured them of a safe return home.

The West Indies team bowed out of the T20 World Cup after losing the match against India in Kolkata on March 1. South Africa, on the other hand, crashed out of the competition on March 4, losing to New Zealand in the semi-finals at the same venue. Due to the conflict in West Asia, restrictions on airspace have forced many airlines to change their scheduled routes, leading to this problem.

Meanwhile, it is known that some West Indies players will remain in India to prepare for the IPL. Rovman Powell will join Kolkata Knight Riders’ camp, which is scheduled to begin on March 18. On the other hand, Sherfan Rutherford can join the Mumbai team. As a result, even if not everyone returns home, many will be busy preparing for the upcoming IPL competition.