Frontline coronavirus heroes to be honoured in Test series

INTERNATIONAL STARS SET TO CELEBRATE OUR KEY WORKERS

THE England Men’s Test series against the West Indies will honour heroic cricketing key workers and be named the #raisethebat Test Series, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced.

Marking the return of international cricket, the three-Test series taking place behind closed doors will honour and celebrate heroes within cricketing circles, many of whom have been playing the innings of their lives to support those in need during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On day one of the first Test - Wednesday, July 8 - the England Men’s players will pay tribute to cricket’s heroes by displaying the names of key workers on their training shirts before the start of the match to shine a light on their bravery and sacrifice as fans watch live from home.

The people named on the shirts have all been nominated by their local cricket clubs and include teachers, doctors, nurses, carers, social workers and other vital professions. Their stories will be amplified across the ECB’s digital platforms.

As part of the ECB’s nationwide Together Through This Test campaign, which launched last month with a short film narrated by Stephen Fry, the Raise The Bat initiative has already featured key workers on more than 300 billboards across England and Wales, with more billboards to come from Monday.

Cricket fans are also being encouraged to highlight the many more key workers who deserve recognition using #raisethebat on social media.

England captain Joe Root said: “We’ve waited a long time for this moment, and we wouldn’t be here without the West Indies – we are so grateful to them for making the tour happen.

“As we get back to playing the game we love, we want to take the time to honour the brave key workers who went into bat for their country under the toughest circumstances. It’s only fitting we use this series as an opportunity to ‘raise a bat’ in their honour. We’ll wear their names with pride.”

Emily Blakemore, a nurse whose name will feature on an England player’s shirt, said: “It’s going to be an absolute honour to see one of the England Men’s players come out while wearing my name on the back of their shirt.

“It has been such a difficult time for so many people, and there’s still a lot of hard work ahead, but it’s exciting that we’ll be able to see some cricket again.

“Hopefully Joe and the team can give us something to cheer about. Summer isn’t summer without cricket.”