England may have to travel by land and sea to Dubai before flying to the West Indies for the ICC World Twenty20 because of the on-going travel crisis.
An International Cricket Council spokesman said England must decide by Wednesday whether to take up the offer to travel via train and ship to Dubai.
However, that was before UK airports began to re-open late on Tuesday as restrictions on UK airspace eased.
England are one of eight teams yet to travel for the 12-team competition.
Ireland and Zimbabwe have already arrived for the tournament, which starts on 30 April.
New Zealand are travelling via the United States, and so are not affected by European travel problems caused by the cancellation of flights as a result of the volcanic ash cloud produced by an eruption in Iceland.
606: DEBATE
Due to the volcanic ash cloud, will the event go ahead?
cookie40cents
The England and Wales Cricket Board's preferred option is that the players can fly out to Barbados on Sunday, ready to play a warm-up game against Bangladesh the following Wednesday, before the team begin their campaign on 3 May against hosts West Indies in Guyana.
But Emirates, one of the ICC's main sponsors, has drawn up contingency plans to fly teams, essential back-up staff and broadcast crews to the West Indies in time.
Just to add to the sense of confusion, three members of the England squad are currently involved in the final stages of the Indian Premier League.
Of the trio, the England captain Paul Collingwood played his last match for the Delhi Daredevils on Sunday and is currently assessing how to get back to London in time for the flight out to the Caribbean.
But Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan, who are with the Bangalore Royal Challengers, play in the final knockout stages of the IPL which concludes this weekend.
They will then make their way to the West Indies directly from India.
An International Cricket Council spokesman said England must decide by Wednesday whether to take up the offer to travel via train and ship to Dubai.
However, that was before UK airports began to re-open late on Tuesday as restrictions on UK airspace eased.
England are one of eight teams yet to travel for the 12-team competition.
Ireland and Zimbabwe have already arrived for the tournament, which starts on 30 April.
New Zealand are travelling via the United States, and so are not affected by European travel problems caused by the cancellation of flights as a result of the volcanic ash cloud produced by an eruption in Iceland.
606: DEBATE
Due to the volcanic ash cloud, will the event go ahead?
cookie40cents
The England and Wales Cricket Board's preferred option is that the players can fly out to Barbados on Sunday, ready to play a warm-up game against Bangladesh the following Wednesday, before the team begin their campaign on 3 May against hosts West Indies in Guyana.
But Emirates, one of the ICC's main sponsors, has drawn up contingency plans to fly teams, essential back-up staff and broadcast crews to the West Indies in time.
Just to add to the sense of confusion, three members of the England squad are currently involved in the final stages of the Indian Premier League.
Of the trio, the England captain Paul Collingwood played his last match for the Delhi Daredevils on Sunday and is currently assessing how to get back to London in time for the flight out to the Caribbean.
But Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan, who are with the Bangalore Royal Challengers, play in the final knockout stages of the IPL which concludes this weekend.
They will then make their way to the West Indies directly from India.
