India, Australia pay tribute after tragic passing of Melbourne teenager
The teams wore black armbands in tribute to Ben Austin, who passed away after an accident in the nets
Australia and India players wore black armbands in their ICC Women's World Cup 2025 semi-final as a tribute to teenage cricketer Ben Austin, who passed away following an accident while batting in the nets in Melbourne.
A statement from the Austin family said: "We are utterly devastated by the passing of our beautiful Ben, who died earlier on Thursday morning.
"For Tracey and I, Ben was an adored son, deeply loved brother to Cooper and Zach and a shining light in the lives of our family and friends.
"This tragedy has taken Ben from us, but we find some comfort that he was doing something he did for so many summers – going down to the nets with mates to play cricket. He loved cricket and it was one of the joys of his life.
"We would also like to support his teammate who was bowling in the nets – this accident has impacted two young men and our thoughts are with he and his family as well."
Cricket Australia said it was "devastated" by the news, with CEO Todd Greenberg adding, "The death of a young cricketer practicing to play the game he loved is an absolutely tragic event and our hearts go out to Ben's family, friends and teammates at this very sad time.
"We are working with Cricket Victoria to ensure there will be appropriate recognition of Ben at tomorrow night's T20 International at the MCG.
"Cricket Victoria and the broader Australian cricket community are rallying around Austin’s family and teammates, offering support during this incredibly difficult period."
