Ahead of the fifth Ashes Test, the Australian and English cricket teams honor the first responders who responded to the scene of the shooting.
Posted on January 4, 2026
The England and Australian cricket teams, as well as the crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground, have honored emergency service personnel and members of the public who responded during a mass shooting on Bondi Beach in December.
Both teams formed a guard of honor on the field, and spectators joined in with loud applause before the fifth Test match of the Ashes series, which began on Sunday.
The biggest cheer from the sold-out crowd was reserved for hero Ahmed al-Ahmed, who ran towards one of the attackers and snatched his weapon, emerging with his right arm in a sling.
The 43-year-old fruit shop owner was filmed attacking and disarming one of the attackers and was widely hailed as a hero; Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called al-Ahmed’s actions an example of “Australians coming together”.
Al-Ahmed is an Australian Muslim citizen of Syrian origin and comes from the town of al-Nayrab, near Idlib in Syria. He is understood to have moved to Australia in 2006.
Al-Ahmed was having lunch in the area when the shooting occurred and intervened.
Authorities have described the shooting as an anti-Jewish terrorist attack, which took place at the famous tourist spot of Bondi Beach, not far from the Sydney Cricket Ground.
During a gathering at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration, two men, later identified as father-son duo Sajid and Naveed Akram, opened fire on Bondi Beach, killing 15 people and wounding at least 42.
Cricket Australia boss Todd Greenberg called the attack “a devastating tragedy”.
“The incredible acts of bravery by first responders and community members at the scene of the Bondi attack were a reminder of the spirit of community and self-sacrifice that unites us as a nation,” he said.
“Our thoughts remain with those affected by this devastating tragedy and as a sport we will continue to provide all the support we can.”
Among those honored were ambulance workers and police officers, surf lifesavers and Jewish community groups.
A security operation has been established for the test, with uniformed and mounted police, along with public order and riot officers patrolling the site.
The measures mirror those taken at the Boxing Day test in Melbourne, where specialist police were armed with semi-automatic rifles.
