Why are Australian players wearing black armbands against Netherlands?

Australian players were spotted wearing black armbands to pay homage to former Australian cricketer Fawad Ahmed and his family.

Why are Australian players wearing black armbands against Netherlands?

Australia is facing the Netherlands in Match 24 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday, October 25. Despite having elected to bat first after winning the toss, Australian captain Pat Cummins lost debutant Mitchell Marsh (9 off 15) in the fourth over of the innings.

Significantly, the Australian players are observed donning black armbands throughout the match as a gesture of respect towards the family and former Australian cricketer Fawad Ahmed, who tragically lost his four-month-old son. In June of this year, the former wrist spinner delivered his second child. Nevertheless, the infant encountered numerous heath complications and was subsequently admitted to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, where he passed away.

As a result, throughout these tragic times, the entire team was observed donning black armbands to show their solidarity with Fawad's family. Significantly, Fawad debuted for Australia in August 2013 during a Twenty20 International match against England. He subsequently captained the nation in two T20Is and three ODIs, amassing a total of six wickets.