Why England wearing black armbands: Why are England cricketers wearing black armbands today in T20 World Cup final?

Pakistan’s cautious start in ICC T20 World Cup 2022 final match has been converted into a disappointing start by England all-rounder Sam Curran. Proving captain Jos Buttler’s decision to bowl first as the right one, Curran drew first blood in the night of the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

It all happened on the second delivery of the fifth over, Curran’s second, when Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan (15) played on a Curran delivery back to his stumps.

Perhaps disturbed by an elongated delay right before his dismissal, Rizwan was dismissed on the first ball after the break. It was whilst completing a quick single alongside captain Babar Azam that Rizwan dived only to let the grille of his helmet hit his face. As a result, calling for immediate medical attention.

Pakistan, who scored only 16 runs in the first three overs, had finally broken the shackles by collecting 13 runs in the fourth over. However, losing Rizwan right after finding some momentum dented their progress as they finished the powerplay with a score of 39/1.

ALSO READ: When and where to watch Pakistan vs England ICC T20 World Cup final?

Batter Mohammad Haris (8) couldn’t get going with his attacking instincts against the English bowlers as a mis-hit off spinner Adil Rashid led to his dismissal after the fielding restriction overs ended.

Why are England wearing black armbands today at the MCG?

As fans must have noted by now, English cricketers are wearing black armbands in Melbourne on Sunday. For the unversed, the same has been done as a mark of respect and tribute towards David English – known as the “Godfather of English cricket”.

English, 76, died of heart attack yesterday. Bunbury schools festival, English’s brainchild, has played a vital role in the development of cricket in England over the decades.

Such sad news to hear the passing of David English. An Incredible man who did amazing things for our great game and was always amazing company, never a dull moment.
RIP Dave 💔 @BunburyCricket

— Chris Woakes (@chriswoakes) November 13, 2022

A large majority of the current English cricketers had their first experience of the sport in their childhoods during the Bunbury schools festival. The development program is said to have produced in excess of 125 international cricketers and 1,000 first-class cricketers in all these years.

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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