Why Are Players Wearing Black Armbands In South Africa vs Australia WTC Final?
In the final of the World Test Championship, players from South Africa and Australia were seen wearing black armbands. On the third day of the match, black bands were clearly visible on the arms of players from both teams. Know the full reason here.
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The title match of the World Test Championship is being played between South Africa and Australia at Lord's. On the third day of the match, players from both teams wore black armbands and observed a one-minute silence before play began. They did this to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. Air India's Boeing 787-8 flight crashed just seconds after takeoff on Thursday. A total of 241 people, including 12 crew members, died in the accident.
Along with the players, field umpires Chris Gaffney and Richard Illingworth also wore black armbands as a mark of respect.
There were 169 Indian citizens, 53 British citizens, 7 Portuguese citizens, and 1 Canadian citizen on board the Air India flight. The flight was going from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. Sadly, the plane crashed just after takeoff, and 241 people, including 12 crew members, lost their lives in the accident.
Also Read -Aakash Chopra suggests two-tier system for Test cricket during WTC final 2025
Only one person, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, survived this terrible crash. He was sitting on seat 11-A, which was in the part of the plane that remained on the ground floor of the building after the collision. Vishwas, a British citizen of Indian origin, managed to escape by unbuckling his seatbelt. He said his left hand was burned when the fire started.
Before the start of the third day of the WTC Final 2025 between South Africa and Australia at Lord’s, players from both teams wore black armbands and observed a one-minute silence to pay tribute to the victims of the crash. The umpires, Chris Gaffney and Richard Illingworth, also wore black bands as a mark of respect.
Commentator Nasser Hussain spoke about the gesture during the live broadcast. He said, “It is clearly visible that the players are wearing black bands. While we are enjoying the match here in the sunshine of England, our thoughts are with the people affected by the tragic incident in India. We request everyone to observe a moment of silence to show respect.”
Talking about the match, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon came out to open Australia’s second innings on Day 3 of the match, while Kagiso Rabada began the bowling for South Africa. Australia is trying to defend the WTC title it won in 2023 by beating India. South Africa, on the other hand, is aiming to win its first ICC trophy since 1998, when it defeated the West Indies in the Champions Trophy final. A win at Lord’s would end their 27-year wait for another ICC title.
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