Why England players are wearing black armbands during 1st Test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford?

The England cricket team sported black armbands during their first Test against Sri Lanka at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester on Wednesday (August 21). The Three Lions host the Lankan Lions in a three-match Test series that will play a crucial role for both teams in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2024-25 campaign.

The English players are wearing black armbands in honour of their former batter Graham Thorpe, who recently passed away. Ollie Pope, who is leading the side in the absence of injured Ben Stokes, said on Tuesday that they will be paying tribute to the late legend throughout the match.

“We’ll have our black armbands on throughout the game, and there’ll be a tribute to him before. It’s hurt a lot of people in that changing room. He was a great man. I probably had two or three years playing with him as a batting coach. I admired him,” Pope said. 

Thorpe was known for his exceptional counter-attacking and fielding prowess. He was the backbone of Surrey and England’s middle order for almost a decade. The left-handed batter has represented England in 100 Tests and 82 ODIs, scoring 6744 and 2380 runs, respectively. On August 4, 2024, Thorpe took his own life at the age of 55 after reportedly suffering from "major depression and anxiety".

Sri Lanka opt to bat first after winning toss

Both teams announced their playing XI ahead of the match day. While Pope leading the English team, middle-order batter Harry Brook will serve as his deputy. Fast bowler Matthew Potts is making his return to England's playing XI.

The Lankan team, led by Dhananjaya de Silva, have added uncapped Milan Rathnayake into the line-up. The 28-year-old fast bowler had a tremendous success in the domestic circuit. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first. They have not secured a Test victory over England since 2014.

Also Read: Who is Milan Rathnayake? Sri Lanka’s new Test addition for England series after strong domestic performance

ENG vs SL: Playing XIs

England (Playing XI): Daniel Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope(c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith(w), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir

Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal(w), Dhananjaya de Silva(c), Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Milan Priyanath Rathnayake