12/16/25 10:35:00
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12/16 02:20 CST England and Australia players to wear black armbands in Ashes
tribute to Bondi shooting victims
England and Australia players to wear black armbands in Ashes tribute to Bondi
shooting victims
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) --- England and Australia players will wear black
armbands and flags at Adelaide Oval will be flown at half-staff on Wednesday in
an Ashes tribute to the victims of the Bondi beach shootings.
On Sunday night, two gunmen killed 15 people and injured dozens more at the
iconic beach in Sydney. Their target was members of Sydney's Jewish community
celebrating the start of Hannukah in what authorities said was an antisemitic
act of terrorism.
Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board issued a joint
statement saying: "All of our thoughts are with the victims, their friends and
families, the Jewish community and the people of Australia at this deeply
distressing time. Our condolences go out to all those affected. We stand with
you."
Australia captain Pat Cummins said "my heart goes out to the victims, their
families, the people of Bondi and our Jewish community during this time. If you
can, please book an appointment to donate blood."
England captain Ben Stokes said Tuesday his team was in shock as it heard news
from the shootings on Sunday night.
"What happened a couple of days ago was an awful thing to watch unfold," Stokes
said. "We were in our team room and it came up on the news about what was
happening. It was silence from everyone in there seeing that happen."
Cricket Australia said Tuesday that veteran Australian folk singer John
Williamson would join tributes to the victims at the start of Wednesday's
match, the third in the five-test series which Australia leads 2-0.
Williamson will perform his fabled song "True Blue" before play begins.
Williamson will follow a moment's silence and precede the Indigenous "Welcome
to Country" and the Australian and England anthems.
"This is a tragic time for all Australians and the thoughts of everyone in the
cricket world are with the victims of this terrible event, their families,
friends and the Jewish community," Cricket Australia chief executive Todd
Greenberg said in a statement Tuesday.
"While sport can seem insignificant at times like this, we have the unusual
opportunity to bring millions of people together to pay tribute, to console and
to contemplate what we want our nation to be. I'm grateful John has agreed to
perform ?True Blue' which has at its essence the ideal of Australians from all
backgrounds sharing the same hopes and aspirations."
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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