England and India players are wearing black armbands on day one of the Edgbaston Test. Here's why.
Ahead of the second Test, an official statement from the hosts confirmed that “England will wear black armbands today in memory of former England, Northamptonshire and Durham cricketer Wayne Larkins, who sadly passed away on 28 June.”
At the toss, India skipper Shubman Gill also sported a black armband, as did the rest of the India team. Earlier in the series, both sides had also paid tributes to Syd Lawrence and Dilip Doshi.
Read more: R Ashwin: India need to play 'defensive and negative' cricket to counter Bazball
2nd Test, England vs India
vs
- Ball by ball Over
Who was Wayne Larkins?
Larkins, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 71, represented Northamptonshire in 363 first-class matches, before moving to Durham in 1991. A prolific opening batter with over 25,000 first-class runs to his name, Larkins played 13 Tests for England, averaging just over 20 with the bat.
Larkins also played 25 ODIs, including at the 1979 World Cup. Including one-day cricket, he made over 700 appearances in all for Northants.
Affectionately called "Ned", Larkins was well-known for his strokeplay and personality. Via Northants, his wife Debbie said upon his passing, “Ned loved everyone he met and everyone loved him. People were drawn to his infectious energy. He lit up every room and never wanted the party to finish.
“He loved his soul mate of a wife and his precious daughters so much. He will be partying up in the sky, drinking a toast to everyone and to his own life. We are devastated but we’ll never forget his undeniably unique presence and his impact on our lives.
“We will carry him in our hearts forever.”
Follow Wisden for all England vs India updates, including live scores, latest news, team lineups, schedule and more. The live streaming details for the ENG vs IND series in India, UK, USA and rest of the world can be found here. For Wisden quizzes, head here.
