Revealed: The tragedy that inspired Usman Khawaja to wear a black armband at the Sydney Test
- Batter stood out from his teammates at the SCG
- Australia wants to win the highly competitive series 3-1
Usman Khawaja has chosen to wear a black armband during the Sydney Test against India to mark the tragic death of the wife of his former teammate, South African star Ashwell Prince.
Melissa Prince lost her battle with cancer on Sunday at the age of 40, leaving her husband and their three sons devastated.
Khawaja met Prince – who played 66 Tests and 52 one-day internationals for his country from 2002 to 2011 – when they were both starring for England side Lancashire.
On Thursday, Prince paid a heartbreaking tribute to Melissa on Instagram.
“It was extremely difficult to watch you endure as much pain as you did in the last few months of your life,” he wrote.
“But we choose to remember you as we knew you. A gem, one of the rare species that touched people’s hearts in a special way, wherever you went.
Usman Khawaja (left) was the only Australian player to wear a black armband on day one of the fifth Test against India at the SCG on Friday
The batsman wore the strip as a mark of respect after a former teammate’s wife died earlier this week aged just 40
‘We miss you mom and can hardly believe you are gone. But you have left an imprint in all our hearts that can never be erased.
“Happy New Year my love. Rest in peace up there, your boys will always love you!’
Khawaja was the only member of the Australian team to wear the armband when they headed to the SCG for the fifth Test against India on Friday.
In 2014, the Australian star denied a report that he had pointed out to Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale that he had made a shocking racist comment about Prince during a match.
Khawaja and Prince were the two standout big name recruits for Lancashire when they were promoted to division one that year.
This isn’t the first time the opening batsman has distinguished himself from his teammates by wearing a black armband.
Khawaja’s former teammate, South African star Ashwell Prince, is pictured with his late wife Melissa and one of their children
In December last year, the 37-year-old was accused of wearing the armband to make a political statement about the war in Palestine during the first Test against Pakistan.
Khawaja was reprimanded for breaching Clause F of the International Cricket Council’s Dress and Equipment Code, with the armband deemed a ‘personal message’ by the ICC, despite the opening batsman telling officials he was wearing it for political reasons not to wear it after wearing the bracelet. words ‘Freedom is a human right’ and ‘All lives are equal’ during a training session.
“I followed all the rules, past precedents, guys put stickers on their bats and names on their shoes,” he said.
‘As I said to the ICC, it was a personal grieving process. The bracelet was different from my shoes.
‘My shoes are very clear. And in the end I didn’t wear the shoes, I changed my mind about the rules and procedures and left it at that.’