‘Absolutely devastated’: Australian and English players unite to honour Bondi victims as Pat Cummins urges the public to donate blood

Australia and England have put their Ashes differences aside to come together to mourn the deadly mass shooting at a Chanukah event in Bondi on Sunday evening. Cricket Australia and the England & Wales Cricket Board released a joint statement on Monday to pay tribute to the affected communities, while players from both sides expressed their heartbreak on social media. “Everybody at Cricket Australia and the England & Wales Cricket Board is horrified by the tragic events at Bondi Beach yesterday evening,” the boards said. “All of our thoughts are with the victims, their friends and families, the Jewish community and the people of Australia at this deeply distressing time. Our condolences go out to all those affected. We stand with you.” Australia captain Pat Cummins – who will return from injury to lead the side in the Adelaide Test beginning on Wednesday – mourned the dead and to encourage people to donate blood to help the victims of the vile attack in a post on social media. “Absolutely devastated by the horror last night in Bondi. My heart goes out to the victims, their families, the people of Bondi and our Jewish community during this time,” he wrote. “If you can, please book an appointment to donate blood.” Teammate Usman Khawaja also shared his sorrow on Instagram. “Up before the break of dawn and praying for the Jewish and Bondi community as a whole. No room whatsoever for these hate crimes,” he posted. England batter Harry Brook delivered a message on behalf of his team during his scheduled press conference. “It was a horrendous day for everybody involved on Bondi Beach,” he said. “All of my condolences and (from) everybody involved with England cricket, we are really thinking about them ...we support them all the way through and (are) extremely sorry for what happened.” It’s unclear what the teams have planned for Wednesday, but it’s likely that both sets of players will pay tribute to the victims.