ENG vs NZ 1st Test: Why England players wear black armbands at Lord’s

England players wear black armbands (Screengrab) England players are seen wearing black armbands on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s as part of a special tribute to former cricketers who have died since the team’s last home international.Before kick-off on Thursday, a moment of silence was observed before the national anthems, joined by players from both sides. Black armbands have been worn in memory of several former England cricketers, including Ken Shuttleworth, John Jameson, Barry Knight, Robin Smith, Hugh Morris, Norman Gifford, Eric Russell, Tony Pigott and MJK Smith.Part of the emotional pre-match ceremony was also a tribute to New Zealand great Martin Crowe, which will be 10 years since his death. Crowe remains one of the most influential figures in New Zealand cricket history and the Lord’s crowd warmly acknowledged his legacy. His daughter, Emma Crowe, rang the traditional five-minute bell before the start of the test to a round of applause.Once the celebrations were over, the focus shifted to the cricket as New Zealand captain Tom Latham won the toss and decided to play in half-light.The visitors unveiled a formidable pace attack led by Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson and Will O’Rourke. Jamieson and O’Rourke, both hulking speedsters at at least 1.97m, are playing together in a Test for the first time after overcoming long-term back injuries. Nathan Smith, who impressed with eight wickets in the recent warm-up against Ireland, completes a seam-packed attack while Glenn Phillips gets the nod ahead of Mitchell Santner.England handed a debut to Durham opener Emilio Gay, who recently represented Italy in T20 internationals. The hosts also recalled Ollie Robinson, whose last Test appearance came in 2024. Robinson joins captain Ben Stokes, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue in the pace department.The Lord’s Test marks England’s first red-ball match since their 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia earlier this year, adding extra significance to the start of the series.