T20 World Cup 2021: Why are England and New Zealand wearing armbands in today's semi-final?
T20 World Cup 2021 semi-finalists England and New Zealand cricket team players are wearing armbands to pay their respects towards Abu Dhabi head curator Mohan Singh on Wednesday.
Singh passed away on Monday, ahead of the Afghanistan vs New Zealand clash at the same venue. The cause of his death remains unknown.
England and New Zealand players also observed a minute's silence before the first ball on Wednesday, along with the members of the stadium and crowd.
Singh served Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Stadium for over 15 years. A media release from Abu Dhabi Cricket had said he played a "pivotal role in all of the venue’s success".
After the unfortunate announcement, an ICC spokesperson had said:
"We are deeply saddened and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, Abu Dhabi Cricket, and everyone connected with the event."
England and New Zealand reached the semi-finals after four wins from five league games in their respective groups.
While England beat Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and West Indies on their way, New Zealand defeated India, Afghanistan, Scotland and Namibia.
A minute of silence was observed in memory of Mohan Singh, the Abu Dhabi head curator who died earlier this week.
#ENGvNZ | #T20WorldCup
#Muhammad_Yousaf #AFG https://t.co/C8srbSnz70
The semi-finals are the first time these two sides are meeting in an ICC encounter since arguably the greatest ever World Cup final at Lord's in 2019.
The winner of this match will proceed to the final on November 14 and will compete against the winner of the second semi-final between Pakistan and Australia.
New Zealand's Kane Williamson wins toss, ask England to bat first
One change 🔁
We lose the toss and bat 🏏
#T20WorldCup #ENGvNZ
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson won the toss in Abu Dhabi and asked his counterpart, Eoin Morgan, to bat first.
The Black Caps announced an unchanged squad while England made a forced change, replacing injured Jason Roy with Sam Billings on Wednesday.