Team India Players To Wear Black Armbands To Condole Arun Jaitley's Sad Demise

Team India players will wear black armbands when they take the field on day three of the first Test against West Indies in Antigua as a mark of respect for former BCCI vice-president Arun-Jaitley. The senior BJP leader, who also served as the finance minister, passed away after prolonged illness in the Capital on Saturday.

Mr Jaitley played a big role in development of Delhi’s cricket. He served as the president of Delhi and District Cricket Association for 13 years until 2013. During his stint, a number of stalwarts like Virender Sehwag, Ashish Nehra, Gautam Gambhir and current skipper Virat Kohli made their debut for India.

Also Read: Emotional Virender Sehwag Recalls Arun Jaitley’s Contribution In His Career

According to IANS, a senior BCCI functionary said that while treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry proposed the idea, it was immediately supported by the Committee of Administrators (CoA) and CEO Rahul Johri.

“Anirudh felt that the players should wear black armbands as a mark of respect for the man who played a pivotal role in BCCI administration and the board came together to back the idea,” the functionary said.

Meanwhile, the BCCI also sent out a statement in order to pay tribute to Mr Jaitley.

“The Board of Control for Cricket in India  condoles the sad demise of its former Vice-President and a former IPL Governing Council member, Arun Jaitley. A remarkable statesman, Jaitley was a passionate cricket follower and will always be remembered as one of the most able and respected cricket administrators.

“During his long tenure as the President of the Delhi & District Cricket Association, he brought about a tremendous change in the cricketing infrastructure. A close friend of the cricketers, he always stood by them, encouraged them and supported them in their quest for excellence. The BCCI shares the pain and grief of the Jaitley family and prays for the departed soul,” the release said.

BCCI condoles the sad demise of Shri Arun Jaitley.

The BCCI shares the pain and grief of the Jaitley family & prays for the departed soul pic.twitter.com/KkAyL4Evdy

— BCCI (@BCCI) August 24, 2019

Talking about the Test, India are very much in command. After being bowled out for 297, India reduced West Indies to 189 for 8 by the end of day two.