EXPLAINED: Why players are wearing black armbands during the first Test between England and Sri Lanka
Photo: AP
KEY POINTS
- England and Sri Lanka will meet in the first of the three-match Test series in Manchester.
- Both England and Sri Lanka players were seen wearing black armbands.
- England captain Ollie Pope said they would wear it throughout the game.
England are currently taking on Sri Lanka in the first Test match of the three-match series at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester. This will be an important series for the Three Lions as they will be looking to climb up the World Test Championship table as they are currently lagging in seventh place. In the first Test match, the players who took to the field wore black armbands.
Both Sri Lankan and English players wear black armbands in memory of the legendary English batsman. Graham Thorpewho tragically passed away on August 5th.
Before the draw, England captain Papa Ollie He said the players will wear black armbands throughout the course of the first Test match. He also recalled the two or three years he spent with Graham Thorpe when he was England’s batting coach.
“We’ll be wearing our black armbands throughout the game and we’ll pay tribute to him beforehand. He hurt a lot of people in that locker room. He was a great man. I probably played with him two or three years as hitting coach. I really looked up to him,” Pope said.
Thorpe, one of England’s greatest ever cricketers and coaches, had been suffering from an illness since 2022 and the entire world received the shocking news of his death after the England Cricket Board (ECB) sent out a statement on August 5.
Ben Stokes will not participate in the test series against Sri Lanka
The biggest news from the squad that will be taking part in the Test series against Sri Lanka for England is the fact that their captain and star all-rounder Ben Stokes will not be available. This is because he suffered a hamstring tear while playing for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred.
In his absence, opener Ollie Pope will captain the English team, with Harry Brook acting as his deputy.
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