Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan has slammed the International Cricket Council (ICC), as multiple teams were stranded in India after their elimination from the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup due to airspace closure in the Middle East owing to the conflict between USA-Israel and Iran taking over West Asia.
Vaughan took to social media, putting out a post criticising the apex body for providing England a chartered flight immediately after they were eliminated but not to South Africa and West Indies, who were eliminated before them.
England were eliminated on Thursday, March 5, and left India with a chartered flight on Saturday, March 7. South Africa were eliminated on March 4, while the West Indies were eliminated on March 1.
“Just to let you all know that the West Indies got knocked out of the World Cup on March 1st. It’s now March 9th. They are still stranded in Kolkata .. SA are in the same position .. !!!!!!!!!!!! This isn’t right … England got on a charter 36 hrs after being knocked out .. as should be the case for all teams,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Just to let you all know that the West Indies got knocked out of the World Cup on March 1st .. it’s now March 9th .. they are still stranded in Kolkata .. SA are in the same position .. !!!!!!!!!!!! This isn’t right … England got on a charter 36 hrs after being knocked out ..…
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 10, 2026
This follows a previous post from March 7 from the former England captain, expressing similar sentiments.
“So England got knocked out on Thurs[day] 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 .. All teams in this situation should be treated the same .. just because you are more powerful at the ICC table shouldn’t count .. #JustSaying,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
West Indies and South Africa teams are set to leave on Tuesday, March 10, on a special chartered flight to Johannesburg, from where the West Indies players will head to Antigua. This will include 12 South African players and two support staff, and 12 West Indies players and ten support staff.
West Indies coach Darren Sammy is also expected to leave on a flight to Singapore, along with three other West Indies players on other unconfirmed routes. Three South African players – Keshav Maharaj, George Linde and Jason Smith – have already left for New Zealand for a bilateral series starting on March 15.
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