After losing to India in the T20 World Cup, the teams of Zimbabwe and West Indies are out of the semi-final race. Despite this, players from both teams are unable to return to their home countries. Due to the war between Iran and Israel, West Asia’s airspace is closed. Zimbabwe and West Indies players have to travel to their countries via this route, but players from both teams are currently staying in hotels in India. Flights cancelled due to security reasons Cricket West Indies (CWI) released an official statement on Monday providing this information. The board stated that international flight routes had to be diverted and cancelled due to military activities and security threats in Middle Eastern countries. Considering the safety of players and coaching staff, their travel has been postponed. The board is now working with the ICC and the government to find safe return routes. Zimbabwe players were scheduled to depart on Monday Zimbabwe played their last match against South Africa on Sunday. Some players of the team were scheduled to depart at 4:30 AM on Monday, while the rest were to leave during the day. The team’s flight was booked from Delhi to Dubai and from Dubai to Harare, but due to the closure of airspace in Dubai, the players had to stay in India. Teams currently safe in hotels Currently, the entire West Indies team is staying in a hotel in Kolkata. Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe team will remain in a Delhi hotel until March 4. ICC is planning with the boards of both countries to safely return the players home. On the other hand, the Pakistan team, which was eliminated from the Super-8 stage on Saturday, has returned to Lahore. The team reached Lahore from Colombo by a SriLankan Airlines flight. ICC activated travel support desk ICC has stated that many players and support staff have connecting flights from Dubai. Due to the closure of airspace, they are facing difficulty in sending them home. ICC has also activated a separate travel support desk for this, to minimize the teams’ inconvenience. Why was the airspace closed? Due to the escalating war situation in the Middle East (Gulf countries), there is a fear of missile attacks or other security threats to flights. In such a situation, airline companies choose a safe route, which increases both travel time and distance. Flights going to West Indies and Zimbabwe often pass through these areas, which is why the team’s return home is being delayed. Both teams could not cross the Super-8 stage The T20 World Cup is being played in India and Sri Lanka. The tournament, which started with 20 teams on February 7, had 8 teams remaining by the second stage. The Super-8 stage ended on March 1, after which the top-4 teams entered the semi-finals. These include India, New Zealand, England and South Africa. Zimbabwe and West Indies teams could not qualify for the Super-8. West Indies defeated Zimbabwe in their only match in Round-2. While Zimbabwe, who had defeated Australia and Sri Lanka in the group stage, could not win a single match in the Super-8. Pakistan and Sri Lanka teams could not qualify for the Super-8, while 2021 champions Australia were eliminated in the group stage itself. Post navigation India won 71% T20Is at its fortress Wankhede Stadium:Men in Blue could win only 1 semifinal here, but won 2011 ODI World Cup
