Why are England cricketers wearing black armbands today: Why are New Zealand wearing black armbands today 2023?

The first session of England’s tour of New Zealand 2023 was enough for the visitors to make it absolutely clear that Bazball won’t hesitate from making its presence felt in the country of birth of head coach Brendon McCullum.

It was an effect of the same that England were able to score 134/2 in 23 overs in the afternoon session after New Zealand captain Tim Southee put them in to bat after winning the toss in Mount Maunganui earlier today.

England opening batter Ben Duckett, whose technique had allured numerous doubters especially with respect to his batting position, proved each one of them wrong at least in his first innings on the tour. Continuing in the format exactly from where he had left in Pakistan last year, Duckett hit 14 fours at a strike rate of 123.52 during the course of his 84 (68).

Duckett’s opening partner, Zac Crawley (4), meanwhile, was potentially dismissed for the third time in the 14 balls that he faced in a substandard innings.

Third time unlucky ❌

Crawley is finally dismissed for 4 after Captain Southee finds the edge again… #NZvENG pic.twitter.com/vyZlQZBi6b

— Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) February 16, 2023

Why are England cricketers wearing black armbands today 2023?

Fans must have noticed by now that cricketers from both the teams are wearing black armbands at the Bay Oval today. While players of one team don armbands in the general run of things, it is due to Cyclone Gabrielle that all the players have worn black bands in the memory of those who have lost their lives due to this natural calamity.

For the unversed, New Zealand’s national government has issued a state emergency, only for the third time in the history, in order to minimize damage of all types across the country. It is noteworthy that the damaging storms have displaced thousands of people in the country.

“My heart goes out to those families and those who have been in an extraordinary difficult set of circumstance,” New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told the reporters. “We will absolutely be focused on doing everything we can to support them.”

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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