Online Reporter
ZIMBABWE Cricket have said the Chevrons are safe in India but their travel plans have been disrupted by the military conflict in the Gulf.
The initial plans were for the Chevrons to return home via Dubai, which was sucked into the conflict when it was hit by missiles fired from Iran.
Now, alternative travel arrangements have to be made.
“(ZC) confirms that the Zimbabwe senior men’s team remains safe and well in India following the conclusion of their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign,” ZC said in a statement.
“The squad was scheduled to return home via Dubai, but travel plans have been affected by the evolving situation in the Middle East, which has disrupted key transit routes.
“The International Cricket Council (ICC) has activated contingency measures and is working with international carriers to secure alternative travel arrangements.
“ZC remains in constant communication with the ICC and team management on the ground to ensure the squad’s safe and timely return.”
Now, the big question — should cricket be played in a time of war?
It’s true that nothing anyone connected with the tournament could do would have any impact on events in the Middle East.
Besides, good luck telling the semi-finalists there are no semi-finals to play. Good luck, too, telling the sponsors and broadcasters there is nothing to sponsor or broadcast. They would deploy their lawyers faster than you could say peace in our time.
But does that mean cricket should ignore what’s going on in the real world? Of course, the game isn’t alone. It’s a question for all of sport to consider. That sport tends to turn its back on what’s going on beyond its boundaries makes it easy for the unsporting, in every sense, to consign the games people play to the bin of unserious, and therefore unworthy, human pursuits.
So, what is cricket to do about the rapidly spiralling catastrophe that has engulfed everyone’s attention?
The Zimbabweans were supposed to have left for home yesterday but they were told to stay put.
Much of global cricket’s travel passes through the region that has been plunged into chaos, which has led to the air space there being shut down. For most of the Zimbabweans, that’s an inconvenience.
For Graeme Cremer, it’s brutally close to home. His wife, Merna Cremer, is a first officer with a major United Arab Emirates airline.
Were the Zimbabwe players distracted?
“I would hope not,” Justin Sammons said. “But I’m sure it’s in the back of everyone’s minds. You know you’re going home, but how are you going home? When are you going home?
“The conversations are happening in our groups. But I believe the players had full focus on the game when they stepped over the boundary.”
The South Africans have at least three, possibly seven, more days in India before they might have to think about wending their way home. But the issue was on their minds. “It comes up in every conversation,” Shukri Conrad said. “So you can’t wish it away because it’s there. We’ve just got to try and nail our yorkers and hit the bad ball for six amidst all of that.
“So while it’s part of the conversation we’ve managed to put it aside. “Through our manager (Volvo Masubelele), together with the ICC, we believe all the right decisions will get made.” — Sports Reporter/Cricbuzz
