Ashes 2025: Cricket players wear black armbands, flags fly at half-mast in Aus vs Eng 3rd Test; check why

Players from Australia and England are wearing black armbands during the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval. The gesture is meant to honour those killed in the tragic shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.

The attack, which took place on 14 December during gatherings for the first night of Hanukkah, claimed 15 lives. It also left more than 40 others injured.

As a mark of respect, flags at Adelaide Oval are flying at half-mast. A minute’s silence was observed before the Welcome to Country and national anthems on the opening day of the Test. Australian folk singer John Williamson also performed True Blue as a tribute to the victims.

Australia captain Pat Cummins, who lives just 2.3km away at Bronte Beach, said he was deeply shocked by the incident. He was in disbelief when he watched the news with his wife.

"I'd just put the kids to bed and flicked the news on as that was coming through. Me and my wife were watching in disbelief,” he said at a press conference in Adelaide ahead of the third Ashes Test.

"It does put things into a lot of perspective when you see things like that happen. And for everyone it has affected, all our hearts go out to you. It's a horrible thing to see happen," Pat Cummins said.

"It's a place that is just around the corner from where we live, and we take the kids there all the time. It hit home pretty hard. I really feel for the Bondi community, and Jewish community in particular,” he added.

The Australian captain confirmed that the players would wear armbands throughout the Test to commemorate the victims of the Bondi Beach attack.

He said the squad fell silent as the images appeared on television. Players struggled to process what they were seeing during preparations for the Test.

Stokes said the incident put everything into perspective and reminded them how fragile life could be.

“For everyone that it's affected, all our hearts go out to everyone. It's a horrible thing to see happen," said the England captain.

His son, Naveed Akram, is an Australian-born citizen. The 24-year-old was critically injured, arrested and later regained consciousness in the hospital.

Authorities say the attack was a terrorist act driven by ISIS ideology and antisemitism. The gunmen targeted a Hanukkah event called “Chanukah by the Sea”.