T20 WC: Airspace closure in West Asia delays Zimbabwe's return home

Zimbabwe’s return home after completing their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign has been affected by the closure of airspace in parts of West Asia following missile exchanges involving the United States, Israel and Iran. The squad will remain in India for now after finishing their Super Eights campaign against South Africa in Delhi on Sunday.  According to sources, the ICC has given the Zimbabwe team the option to stay in Delhi until March 7 until there is clarity on the conflict. 

According to an media report, the Zimbabwe contingent was scheduled to return home in batches, with some players set to depart at 4.30 am on Monday and the rest later in the day. The team had been booked on Emirates flights from Delhi to Dubai, with onward connections to Harare. With Dubai among the affected transit hubs, alternative airlines and routes are now being explored.

   

“There are discussions within the group, that’s inevitable. But once the players crossed the boundary line, I believe their attention was fully on the match.”

He added that the team had received no further updates after Sunday’s game.

“There was nothing concrete before the start of play, and since then we’ve been concentrating on the match. I haven’t heard anything new.”

With Dubai airport affected by the disruption, routing the team through Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines is being considered as an alternative.

‘You can’t ignore it’: Conrad on West Asia conflict

South Africa coach Shukri Conrad acknowledged that global tensions had surfaced in team discussions but said the focus remained on cricket.

"Obviously, the situation in the world comes up in conversations. You can’t ignore it because it is there. But we have managed to put that aside and focus on cricket,” Conrad said in the press conference in Delhi.

“Our manager and the ICC are handling things, and we trust that the right decisions will be made. Our full focus is now on playing New Zealand in Kolkata.”

South Africa progressed to the semifinals unbeaten and will face New Zealand next.

ICC activates contingency plans

In a statement on Saturday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said it was monitoring the "evolving situation” and had activated contingency measures to ensure the safety and logistics of all stakeholders at the tournament.

“While the crisis in the Middle East has no direct bearing on the conduct of the tournament, the ICC acknowledges that a significant number of personnel — including players, team management, match officials, broadcast teams, and event staff — rely on Gulf hub airports, particularly Dubai (DXB), as key transit points for onward travel,” the ICC said.

The governing body added that its travel and logistics team was working with major international carriers to secure alternative routing options through European, South Asian and South-East Asian hubs. ICC security consultants are liaising with relevant authorities and providing real-time advisories. A dedicated travel support desk has also been activated.

Pakistan, who were eliminated after their final Super Eight match on Saturday, returned to Lahore from Colombo via a SriLankan Airlines flight, avoiding Gulf transit hubs.