Cricket news

WEST INDIES TO WEAR BLACK LIVES MATTER LOGO ON TEST SHIRTS

West Indies will wear a Black Lives Matter emblem on the collars of their shirts during July's Test series against England.
Captain Jason Holder hinted in his first press conference of the tour that West Indies would look to support the movement in some way, and said in a statement on Sunday: "We believe we have a duty to show solidarity and also to help raise awareness."

The logo used will be that worn on the shirts of all 20 Premier League football clubs since the sport's restart earlier this month, designed by Alisha Hosannah, whose partner Troy Deeney is Watford's captain. Deeney was contacted by CWI for approval, and the ICC gave permission for the emblem to be worn on the teams' collars.
"This is a pivotal moment in history for sports, for the game of cricket and for the West Indies cricket team," Holder said. "We have come to England to retain the Wisden Trophy but we are very conscious of happenings around the world and the fight for justice and equality.

"We did not take our decision lightly. We know what it is for people to make judgements because of the colour of our skin, so we know what it feels like, this goes beyond the boundary. There must be equality and there must be unity. Until we get that as people, we cannot stop.

The shirts are expected to be worn for the first time in this week's first-class, four-day warm-up match at Emirates Old Trafford, which starts on Monday.

The ICC had previously told ESPNcricinfo that they would operate a "common-sense approach to the implementation of regulations" regarding demonstrations of solidarity with the movement, which would be assessed on a "case-by-case basis".

England are also expected to mark their support for the movement during the series following discussions within the squad, and may also wear blue armbands in recognition of the contribution of NHS staff during the Covid-19 pandemic. The ECB announced last week that players would wear the names of cricket-supporting key workers on their training shirts ahead of the first Test.
Logos on the fronts of players' shirts will not be permitted to exceed 32 square inches in size, as per the regulations for ODI and T20I kits. England are also expected to release a shirt with a chest sponsor in the next few days.