England cricket black armbands today: Why is England team wearing black armbands in Old Trafford Test?

England team wearing black armbands: English cricketers are seen wearing black armbands on the field in the Old Trafford Test.

During the first day of the second Test of the ongoing West Indies’ tour of England in Manchester, West Indies have started on a positive note to probably justify their decision of winning the toss and electing to field.

In what was considered as an unusual decision by a visiting captain at the Old Trafford, West Indies’ Jason Holder hinted at making optimum use of the overcast conditions by making early inroads into the under pressure English batting lineup.

While Holder would have expected his fast bowlers to be among the wickets, it wasn’t to be as it was Holder’s inspired decision to introduce all-rounder Roston Chase into the attack in the 14th over which found England opening batsman Rory Burns (15) wanting in front of the stumps.

While a rain-affected morning session saw England scoring 29/1 in 13.2 overs, the first delivery of the second session saw the end of Zac Crawley (0) on the first ball that he faced.

Why is England team wearing black armbands in Old Trafford Test?

It is worth mentioning that the English cricketers are wearing black armbands in memory of former Lancashire Cricket Chairman David Hodgkiss OBE today. Hodgkiss, 71, had passed away in March and was a legendary figure at Lancashire.

Having served the club for 22 years, Hodgkiss gradually got promoted from being a treasurer and a vice-chairman. In his remembrance, English players were expected to wear black armbands on the first day of this Test.

The black armbands being worn by the England team are in memory of former Lancashire chairman, David Hodgkiss OBE, who passed away in March 🌹#ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/eXir5yUP1k

— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) July 16, 2020

Daniel Gidney, Lancashire Cricket Chief Executive, said: “We sincerely miss David every day, not just for his expertise and passion as the driving force behind Lancashire Cricket but also as the kind, sincere and charitable man he was.

“His vision for the redevelopment of Emirates Old Trafford and the significant part he played in the process cannot be overstated. Without him, we simply would not be in a position to host these Test matches.”

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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