Dubai: South African cricketers Quinton de Kock and David Miller criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC) over prioritising travel arrangements for England, who left India ahead of South Africa and the West Indies after the T20 World Cup 2026.
Due to international airspace restrictions caused by rising tensions in the Middle East, both South Africa and the West Indies are stranded in India, unable to return home. The West Indies were eliminated from the tournament in the Super 8 stage on March 1, while South Africa made their exit in the semi-finals on March 4. England, who were knocked out on March 5, still managed to depart India on a special chartered flight arranged by the ICC on Saturday evening.
Although similar arrangements are being provided for South Africa and the West Indies, they are still waiting for confirmation on their departure schedule. It is believed that both teams will likely fly together from Kolkata on Sunday.
De Kock took to social media, expressing his frustration over England’s early departure while his team remained stuck in Kolkata. He posted on Instagram Stories: “Funny @icc, we have heard nothing! Meanwhile, England are leaving before us somehow? @westindies and @proteasmencsa are just in the dark! Strange how different teams have more pull than others.”
Miller also voiced his displeasure, commenting on a post: “Funny that England gets eliminated after WI & SA and gets on a charter back home tonight, while WI & SA still wait for answers in Kolkata.”
Stay updated: Get the latest faster by downloading the Gulf News app – it’s completely free. Click here for Apple or here for Android. You can also find it us on the Huawei AppGallery.
Former West Indies captain and current coach, Darren Sammy, joined the criticism, sarcastically commenting, “@davidmillersa12 a lil louder for those in the back to hear please sir.”
Sammy earlier had expressed his frustration with a simple, four-word post on X: “I just wanna go home,” highlighting the team’s delay in leaving India.
I just wanna go home
— Daren Sammy (@darensammy88) March 5, 2026
Even former England captain Michael Vaughan raised concerns about the ICC’s decision to prioritise England’s departure, questioning why they were allowed to leave earlier than both South Africa and the West Indies. “So England got knocked out on Thurs, get a charter home today… West Indies go out last Sunday and are still in Kolkata… SA in the same position… That’s where the power is all wrong,” Vaughan wrote on X. “All teams in this situation should be treated the same … just because you are more powerful at the ICC table shouldn’t count … #JustSaying.”
