Players In England Wear Black Armbands, Observe A Minute’s Silence In Memory Of Ahmedabad Plane Crash Victims

India, Australia, and South Africa’s cricket teams paid tribute to the victims of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. They wore black armbands and observed a minute’s silence at different venues across England.

On Thursday, more than 240 people lost their lives when an Air India flight to London’s Gatwick Airport crashed shortly after takeoff. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner struck the BJ Medical College hostel, just outside Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Only one survivor was found.

Indian Team Pays Tribute in Beckenham

In Beckenham, the Indian team held a moment of silence before their intra-squad match on Friday. The players and support staff also wore black armbands. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the tribute in a post on its official ‘X’ account.

“A minute’s silence was also observed today to pay homage to the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash, as a mark of respect for the lives lost and solidarity with the affected families,” the BCCI stated.

Australia, South Africa Observe Silence at Lord’s

At Lord’s, players from Australia and South Africa, along with umpires and spectators, participated in a similar tribute. This took place before the start of play on day three of the ICC World Test Championship Final.

Players lined up in their fielding positions to observe a minute’s silence. They wore black armbands as a mark of mourning. Matthew Hayden, former Australian opener and ICC Hall of Fame inductee, rang the bell to start the day’s play.

Australia held a lead of 218 runs at the beginning of day three, after reaching 144/8 at stumps on day two in their one-off title match against South Africa.