Gulf crisis spills on to sport; PV Sindhu set to miss All England badminton

The airspace closure in the Gulf region following the current exchange of air strikes between Iran and US-Israel has begun to cast a ripple effect in the world of sport. P.V. Sindhu, India’s double Olympic medallist and former world no. 1 shuttler, is set to miss her All England campaign in Birmingham since she and her team have been stranded in Dubai since Saturday.

The ongoing ICC T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, which has now reached the semi-finals stage, saw Zimbabwe being the first team to be affected as their flights from Delhi to Dubai have now been cancelled indefinitely. The team, the surprise package of the tournament with their entry into the Super Eight, has been asked to extend their hotel stay until Wednesday, 4 March while the International Cricket Council (ICC) explores ‘different options’ to help them take connecting flights from other hubs.

Meanwhile, England and Yorkshire wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow and his family are stranded in Dubai while on vacation, and have sent a frantic appeal on his X handle for help. The England A cricket squad, also known as England Lions, is stuck in the city while on a trip of annual pre-season matches, which have been cancelled. Former England allrounder Andrew Flintoff is accompanying the team as head coach.   

Sindhu and her team, including Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama, had a narrow escape after an explosion near their place of stay. They were subsequently moved to a secure location and Sindhu announced on social media that they were safe and thanked the Dubai authorities. The Indian ace was scheduled to face Thailand’s Supanida Katethong in the opening round on Tuesday, but with Dubai's airspace and airport still closed, she will be forced to pull out of the tournament.

While Sindhu’s participation seems out of the question, some of her compatriots have managed to reach Birmingham via alternate routes through Singapore and Africa. India’s top men’s singles contender Lakshya Sen and rising youngster Ayush Shetty have reached without any travel issues. While Lakshya has drawn world no. 1 Shi Yu Qi of China, Ayush is up against Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan in the opening round.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe cricket contingent was due to return home in batches, with some leaving as early as 4.30 am on Monday and the rest to follow later in the day. They were booked on Emirates flights from Delhi to Dubai and then on to Harare. While it is understood that other airlines and routes are being considered, Zimbabwe are booked to stay at their Delhi hotel until 4 March.

‘’No, not that I’ve heard of,’’ Zimbabwe’s coach Justin Sammons told ESPNCricinfo when asked if there was any update over the team’s travel plans. ‘’When we started the game there wasn’t anything. Now we’ve just been focused on the game, so I’ve not heard anything since.’’

West Indies, the team which lost out in a virtual-quarter final against India in Kolkata on Sunday, have a long flight back home via the US. Sources among organisers said they have not checked out of their Kolkata hotel on Monday, while an update for Tuesday is still awaited.

The ICC, in a statement on Saturday, said it had been monitoring the ''evolving situation'' and had activated ‘comprehensive contingency plans to safeguard the travel, logistics and well-being of all stakeholders’ at the 2026 T20 World Cup.

‘’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 to their home countries upon concluding their commitments at the event,’’ the world governing body added.