Aussies pay homage to Manchester attack victims

Melbourne [Australia], May 26 (ANI): The Australian cricket team observed a minute of silence to pay their tributes to the victims of the recent deadly terror attack that took place at the Manchester Arena in England. The Australian players halted their training session at The Oval in south London on Thursday to gather in the middle of the ground and acknowledge this week's tragic event in Manchester. All the players present in the practice session moved from the the nets and the outfield where they were training and gathered in a circle along with the team's support staff to mourn the incident. Meanwhile, people across the United Kingdom were also urged to pause to remember the 22 people who were killed in the bombing attack. . Besides Australia, England and South Africa also observed a minute of silence ahead of their opening ODI of the three-match series at the Headingley Carnegie in Leeds, which the home side went on to win by 72 runs. "A lot of guys were upset by what happened and we dedicate this game to them," England allrounder Moeen Ali said following the win. Australia are slated to take on Sri Lanka (May 26) and Pakistan (May 29) in warm-up matches before they begin their Champions Trophy campaign against New Zealand on June 2 at Edgbaston. The Australian cricket team were also in the UK for the 2005 Ashes when London was attacked in the 7/7 bombings. Earlier, the International Cricket Council (ICC) had reiterated their commitment to safety and security of all the teams participating at the Champions Trophy, beginning June 1 at the Oval. Insisting that the security situation has been very much front and centre of their preparations, the ICC said that it is constantly reviewing their procedures to ensure they are as effective as possible to keep everyone safe. The blast took place on Monday night during a pop concert performed by American singer Ariana Grande, in which 22 people were killed and about 50 injured. The Manchester Police confirmed that a lone male suicide bomber was behind the explosion. The attack is being touted as the worst in Britain in a decade. (ANI)