Why are England players wearing black armbands in ENG vs SL 1st Test?
The England Cricket Team are wearing black armbands against Sri Lanka on Day 1 of the ongoing first Test at Old Trafford in Manchester on Wednesday, August 21. The English players are wearing the black armbands in memory of former England cricketer Graham Thorpe.
Thorpe recently passed away at the age of 55. He died by suicide after suffering from depression and anxiety on August 4 earlier this month. The Surrey-based player had played 100 Tests and 82 ODIs for the national team with over 9,000 runs in international cricket. Thorpe also worked with England as a coach in 2019-2020.
He also worked as a commentator with BBC and Sky Sports. In 2006, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
Ahead of the opening Test of the series, Thorpe was shown on the big screen with appreciation from the players and crowd, celebrating his contributions to England cricket. Take a look:
“He’s such a sad loss to everyone”- England’s stand-in captain Ollie Pope on Graham Thorpe
England’s stand-in captain Ollie Pope recently gave a touching tribute to Graham Thorpe while remembering the legend ahead of the opening Test against Sri Lanka. He said (via ESPNcricinfo):
“I remember him saying one thing to me, which was: ‘Never let the runs you’re scoring define you as a person.’ In a bit of a rut when you’re young, that was exactly what I needed to hear. It shows, for me, what a people’s person he was. He’s such a sad loss to everyone: to the country, his family and the boys as well. He’s missed, and we’ll honor him this week.”
Former England captain Joe Root also remembered Thorpe, calling him an inspiration. The 33-year-old recently told Sky Sports (via The Times of India):
“He was the complete batter, like a rock star who could sing you a ballad and rock your socks off at the same time. I always looked up to him and took a lot of inspiration from him.”
“I worked very closely with him for 12 years or so. He had a huge influence on my career and arguably without his backing and pushing my case, I may not have had the career I have had," he added.
Joe Root is England’s leading run-getter in Tests with 12,027 runs.
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