Vaughan accuses ICC of bias as West Indies and South Africa remain stranded in India
Michael Vaughan did not hold back on Saturday when he took to X to call out the ICC over the way eliminated teams have been treated at the T20 World Cup 2026.
England lost their semi-final to India on Thursday and were on a charter flight back to London within 24 hours. West Indies, knocked out in the Super Eights on March 1, have been in Kolkata for nearly a week. South Africa, beaten by New Zealand in their semi-final on March 4, are stuck in the same city.
Vaughan calls out power imbalance
"So England got knocked out on Thurs get a charter home today," Vaughan wrote. "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."
The ICC has pointed to logistical problems beyond its control. Ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran have led to airspace restrictions over parts of the Gulf region, disrupting charter flight routes for teams needing to travel to the Caribbean and southern Africa. England's route back to London does not pass through affected airspace, which partly explains the difference.
Optics matter, regardless of the reason
A joint charter carrying both the South Africa and West Indies squads is reportedly scheduled for March 8, routing first to Johannesburg and then to Antigua. That means the West Indies squad will have spent a full week in India after being eliminated.
Whether this is genuine favouritism or simply the geography of disrupted airspace, the optics are poor. Vaughan's post struck a nerve with fans who have long argued that the ICC's governance structure benefits the "Big Three" of India, England and Australia at the expense of smaller boards. Seeing England fly home while two other squads sit in a hotel does little to counter that perception.
Tournament logistics rarely make headlines. But when players are stuck in a city for the best part of a week after their World Cup is over, questions get asked. The ICC will want to get this right next time.
