Players from both Australia and England will wear black armbands throughout the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval this week in tribute to the victims of Sunday’s shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
Fifteen people were killed and many others injured after gunmen opened fire on crowds gathered in Sydney’s eastern suburbs to mark the first night of Hanukkah. In response, flags at Adelaide Oval will fly at half-mast, and a moment’s silence will be observed on Wednesday before the Welcome to Country and national anthems. Australian folk singer John Williamson will also perform True Blue as part of the commemoration.
Australia captain Pat Cummins, who lives nearby at Bronte Beach, said the attack struck particularly close to home.
“Like most Australians and people around the world, I was horrified watching it unfold,” Cummins said after training on Tuesday. “I’d just put the kids to bed and turned on the news as it was coming through. My wife and I were watching in disbelief.
“It’s just around the corner from where we live, and we take the kids there all the time. It really hit home. I feel deeply for the Bondi community and the Jewish community in particular. The scenes over the past few days have been incredibly powerful. Wearing armbands throughout the Test is the least we can do to commemorate the victims.”
England captain Ben Stokes said the team watched coverage of the events from their hotel in Adelaide, describing the day as “incredibly sad”.
“What happened was awful to watch,” Stokes said. “We were sitting in the team room when it came up on the news, and there was just silence. It puts everything into perspective when you see something like that happen.
“It’s incredibly sad for Australia, for Sydney and for the world. Our thoughts are with everyone affected. It’s a horrible thing to witness.”
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg said the Test would provide an opportunity for millions to come together in remembrance.
“This is a tragic time for all Australians,” Greenberg said. “The thoughts of everyone in the cricket world are with the victims, their families, friends and the Jewish community.
“While sport can feel insignificant at moments like this, it also gives us a rare chance to bring people together — to pay tribute, to reflect and to consider what we want our nation to be.”
Greenberg said Williamson’s performance of True Blue was especially fitting. “At its heart, the song reflects Australians of all backgrounds sharing common hopes and aspirations. As John himself has said, he believes in a multicultural society where unity and freedom are celebrated.”
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas confirmed that additional security measures would be in place for the Test, which is sold out for the first three days.
“Given the events in Sydney, there will be extra protocols at Adelaide Oval,” he said. “This is purely precautionary, but it is appropriate that we maintain an elevated level of alertness for the time being.”
