Dr Kishore Shallow, President of Cricket West Indies, has dismissed claims that Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) failed to adequately coordinate the West Indies men’s team return from India following the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The Caribbean squad was stranded for nine days after being eliminated on March 1 due to the ongoing war in West Asia, which disrupted air travel and forced the closure of multiple international airports.
Dr Shallow explained that repeated attempts by the ICC to organize a chartered flight were thwarted by civil aviation restrictions and logistical complications caused by the war.
“It [the delay] was obviously caused by the ongoing war in the Middle East … whereas our flights from India are usually through Dubai, this wasn’t possible. The ICC, who is responsible for logistics, tried and made tremendous efforts to get the teams back home safely and in a timely manner, but it simply wasn’t possible,” he said.
He emphasized that neither CWI nor the ICC were negligent:
“The delay wasn’t as a result of a lack of effort on the part of the ICC and certainly not CWI. We were in constant communication with them from the time we got eliminated after the Super Eights to try to see how we could get the team out.”
Commercial flights and alternative plans
After three unsuccessful charter attempts, CWI opted to secure commercial flights for the squad on March 10. All players have now returned home.
Dr Shallow addressed comparisons with other teams, such as England, who returned quickly:
“One may argue, ‘How did England get home so quickly?’ but the reality is that England is a direct flight away. West Indies is the furthest point away from India. Most of the other countries left in India could have direct flights, but South Africa encountered a similar challenge to us.”
The CWI president stressed that player safety remained the top priority, and no risk would be taken to expedite travel.
“We can’t just discount the fact that there is a war that is disrupting the entire world. First and foremost was the safety of the players, getting players back home safely,” Dr Shallow said.
Players commended for poise
Despite the difficult situation, Dr Shallow praised the team for their professionalism and maturity throughout the ordeal.
“The few players that I spoke to were keen to get home to their families, which is natural … but it wasn’t because they weren’t being taken good care of. None of the players and management suggested that the hospitality in India was a problem,” he said.
“I have commended the players because they have managed the situation extremely well. They were understanding of the situation and knew it wasn’t because of lack of efforts. They handled the situation very maturely.”
By highlighting the extraordinary circumstances caused by global conflict and long-distance logistics, Dr Shallow defended both CWI and the ICC while assuring fans that the West Indies squad was well-supported throughout the ordeal.
 failed to adequately coordinate the West Indies men’s team return.){kind=link}