The International Cricket Council has responded to allegations of bias after travel complications following the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup sparked a major controversy involving several teams.Although the tournament concluded on Sunday with India national cricket team defeating New Zealand national cricket team in a one-sided final at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, some participating teams have remained stuck in India due to ongoing airspace restrictions linked to the conflict in the Middle East and West Asia.Among those affected are the West Indies national cricket team and the South Africa national cricket team. The West Indies played their final match of the tournament on March 1 but are still in India, while South Africa have also been unable to leave after their semi-final defeat to New Zealand on March 4.In contrast, the England national cricket team returned home shortly after losing their semi-final to India on March 5. The difference in travel timelines has triggered criticism, with many questioning how England managed to depart while other teams remained stuck.One of the most outspoken voices has been former England captain Michael Vaughan, who accused the ICC of favouring certain teams.“All teams in this situation should be treated the same. Just because you are more powerful at the ICC table shouldn’t count,” he said.
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According to a report by BBC, the ICC has strongly denied any suggestion of preferential treatment and clarified that logistical factors alone determined when teams could leave.“Decisions on departure sequencing are being driven solely by airspace availability, aircraft routing permissions, visa requirements and operational safety considerations.“Any suggestion that teams have been prioritised based on anything other than these constraints is incorrect,” BBC quoted an ICC spokesperson.The situation had already drawn attention earlier when West Indies head coach Daren Sammy expressed his frustration on X. In one post he wrote, “I just wanna go home”, before sharing additional messages reflecting the team’s growing impatience.Subsequent reports indicated that arrangements had been made for a chartered flight to take the Caribbean side home, with the team expected to depart later today. South Africa’s squad is also likely to leave India today.The ICC also explained why England were able to travel earlier than the other teams.“For instance, the England team and their staff were able to fly out from Mumbai without restriction due to the route’s airspace being unaffected and flights operating as usual.“The ICC categorically refutes any claims of bias in this or other instances, and has been fully accommodating of specific demands and conditions put forth by teams,” it said.
