Players from India and Australia wore black armbands in memory of young Australian cricketer Ben Austin during their ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 semi-final at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on Thursday.
The X handle of the Australian Women's Team thanked the Indian team for wearing the black armband in his honour. The post said, "Thanks to the Indian team for joining us in wearing black armbands to pay tribute to Ben Austin, a young man from Melbourne who tragically lost his life playing the game we all love."
Who was Ben Austin?
Ben was an active member of the Ferntree Gully, Mulgrave, and Eildon Park cricket clubs. He tragically lost his life after being struck on the neck while training at the Ferntree Gully Cricket Club in Melbourne. The incident occurred during a net session where Austin, who was wearing a helmet but reportedly not a neck guard, was hit by a ball delivered through a wanger, a hand-held throwing device.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene and provided immediate medical assistance before rushing the teenager to the hospital. However, Austin succumbed to his injuries later that evening. The Ferntree Gully Cricket Club confirmed the heartbreaking news on social media, describing his passing as an immense loss to the cricket community.
Australia steady innings after losing an early wicket
At the time of writing, the Australia team were 80/1 in 12 overs. Skipper Alyssa Healy failed to score runs after coming back to the side following an injury. Kranti Goud clean bowled the Aussie skipper for 5 runs.
