Revealed: The tragedy that inspired Usman Khawaja to wear a black armband at the Sydney Test

Usman Khawaja has chosen to wear a black armband in the Sydney Test against India to mark the tragic death of the wife of his former teammate, South African star Ashwell Prince.

Melissa Prince lost her battle with cancer on Sunday aged just 40, leaving her husband and their three sons devastated. 

Khawaja got to know Prince – who played 66 Tests and 52 one-day internationals for his country from 2002 to 2011 – when they were both starring for English county side Lancashire.

On Thursday, Prince paid a heartbreaking tribute to Melissa on Instagram.

‘It was extremely difficult to have to see you endure as much pain as you did in the last few months of your life,’ he wrote.

‘But we choose to remember you in the way that we knew you. A gem, one of the rare types who touched people’s hearts in a special way wherever you went.

The batter wore the strip as a mark of respect after the wife of a former teammate died aged just 40 earlier this week

‘We miss you mama and can hardly believe that you’re gone. But you have mande an imprint in all of our hearts that can never be erased.

‘Happy new year my love. Rest in Peace up there, your boys will always love you!’

Khawaja was the only member of the Australian team to wear the armband when they took to the SCG for the fifth Test against India on Friday.

In 2014, the Aussie star denied a report that he reported Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale for allegedly making a shocking racist comment about Prince during a match.

Khawaja and Prince were the two standout, big-name recruits for Lancashire when they were promoted to division one in that year.

This isn’t the first time the opening batter has stood out from his teammates by wearing a black armband.

Khawaja’s former teammate, South African star Ashwell Prince, is pictured with his late wife Melissa and one of their children

In December last year the 37-year-old was accused of wearing the armband to make a political statement about the war in Palestine during the first Test against Pakistan.

Khawaja was given a reprimand for breaching clause F of the International Cricket Council’s Clothing and Equipment Regulations, with the arm band deemed a ‘personal message’ by the ICC despite the opening batter telling officials he did not wear it for political reasons, after wearing the words ‘Freedom is a human right’ and ‘All lives are equal’ at a training session.

‘I followed all the regulations, past precedents, guys have put stickers on their bats, names on their shoes,’ he said.

‘As I said to the ICC, it was for a personal bereavement. The armband was different to my shoes.

‘My shoes are very obvious. And I, at the end of the day, I didn’t wear the shoes, I changed my mind in respect for the rules and procedures and I left it at that.’