The third Ashes Test between Australia and England in Adelaide will be marked by tributes to the victims of the Bondi beach terror attack, with players wearing black armbands and observing a moment's silence before play begins.
Australia captain Pat Cummins, who lives near Bondi in the Sydney suburb of Bronte, said the attack 'hit home pretty hard'. 'We had just put the kids to bed and flicked on the news as that was coming through. Me and my wife were watching in disbelief. It's a place that's just around the corner from where we live and we take the kids there all the time,' he said.
England captain Ben Stokes also expressed shock, describing the silence in the team room when the news broke. 'It's incredibly sad for Australia, for Sydney and for the world. It does put things into a lot of perspective,' he added.
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg said: 'While sport can seem insignificant at times like this, we have the unusual opportunity to bring millions of people together to pay tribute, to console and to contemplate what we want our nation to be.' Flags at Adelaide Oval will be flown at half-mast.
Extra security, including armed police, will be in place at the Test as a precaution, though South Australia Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said there was no intelligence indicating an increased threat. 'We apply a level of diligence to make sure that people attending can do so with that confidence that they are attending a safe and well-managed event,' he said.
