Melbourne: Players from Australia and India, along with match officials and staff at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), wore black armbands on Friday to honour 17-year-old cricketer Ben Austin, who tragically passed away after being struck on the neck by a ball during training in Melbourne. Both teams also observed a moment of silence before the start of play.
Austin was hit in the neck while facing a ball-throwing machine during a nets session at Wally Tew Reserve, home of the Ferntree Gully Cricket Club, ahead of a local T20 match. He was rushed to hospital in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries at Monash Children’s Hospital.
In a statement, Cricket Australia (CA) said, “Approximately 15 minutes before play, both teams will stand alongside match officials and representatives from Ben’s cricket clubs, Cricket Victoria, and Cricket Australia for a moment of silence. Ben’s image will be displayed on the big screen, and his favourite song will be played following the tribute. Players, officials, and MCG staff will wear black armbands.”
On Thursday, players from both India and Australia had also worn black armbands during the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 semi-final at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium in Austin’s memory.
Tributes continued across Australia on Friday. Victoria and Tasmania players wore black armbands, held a minute’s silence, and displayed Austin’s image on the big screen before resuming their Sheffield Shield match at Junction Oval in Melbourne. Similar tributes were observed in Perth, where Western Australia faced South Australia.
Outside the Ferntree Gully Cricket Club, flowers and cricket bats were laid in remembrance of Austin. The tragic incident has drawn parallels to the death of Phillip Hughes in 2014, who was fatally struck on the neck by a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield match in Sydney.
