NEW DELHI: Having wrapped up their campaign in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, Zimbabwe national cricket team are now waiting for clarity on their travel arrangements after the closure of Dubai International Airport amid rising tensions in the Middle East.

Most of the Sikandar Raza-led squad were scheduled to depart from Delhi in three batches starting Monday morning, but those plans have been placed on hold, head coach Justin Sammons confirmed after their defeat to South Africa national cricket team in the final Super Eights match.

Zimbabwe all-rounder Graeme Cremer, who is based in Dubai, also faces uncertainty following the shutdown of airspace across key Middle Eastern hubs. The squad had been due to take connecting flights via Dubai.

Focus on cricket despite tension

When asked whether the deteriorating situation in the Middle East had distracted the players, including Cremer, Sammons admitted it was hard to completely block it out.

"You'd still believe that the focus is on the game. But at the end of the day, I'm sure it's, you know, it's in the back of everyone's minds. You know you're going home, but how you're going home, when you're going home.

"So it's still there. The conversations are happening in the groups. You can see that. But I still believe they had a full focus on the game when they stepped over that rope," said Sammons before adding that no fresh update had been shared with the team after Sunday’s match.

"When we started the game, there wasn't anything. And yeah, obviously now it's just been focused on the game. So I've not heard anything since," he said.

With Dubai airport shut, one possible route home for the players and support staff is via Addis Ababa-based Ethiopian Airlines.

The International Cricket Council on Saturday stated that it is working on alternative travel plans for players and officials returning from the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka following disruptions caused by US strikes on Iran.

South Africa monitoring situation

South Africa, meanwhile, remain in the tournament and are set to play their semifinal in Kolkata on March 4. Head coach Shukri Conrad acknowledged that the Middle East conflict has been a topic of discussion within the squad.

"It comes up in every conversation. You can't wish it away. It is there. We have managed to put that aside. With our manager and the ICC, we firmly believe that all the right decisions will be made. So yeah, all our focus is on Kolkata and playing New Zealand on Wednesday," said Conrad.

(With PTI Inputs)