Stuart Broad has revealed an awkward meeting with David Beckham at Wimbledon earlier this week in which he wasn’t quite sure how firm to shake the football icon’s injured wrist.
Beckham, 50, was hospitalised last week after being left in ‘unbearable’ pain and requiring surgery to remove a screw embedded in his wrist from an old injury suffered while playing for England 22 years ago.
Since then, he has been pictured a number of times with his wrist in a protective cast with a sling around his neck and shoulder to support his injured limb.
A regular feature at SW19, the former England football captain jetted in overnight to attend the first day of the competition on Monday from Atlanta where his Inter Miami side were knocked out of the Club World Cup.
And it was there that Beckham bumped into another England sporting icon in Broad, who retired as the second-highest wicket-taker among all fast bowlers in Test cricket.
Beckham might have even been forgiven a double-take on seeing the now-retired England legend, given they were wearing almost exactly the same outfit.
Both legends of English sport were kitted out in a light cream suit jacket, with light blue shirt and dark brown tie as they took up their spots in the coveted Wimbledon Centre Court Royal Box.
Naturally, with Broad on commentary duties early on Day One of the second Test against India at Edgbaston, his co-commentator Nasser Hussain was quick to make fun of his colleague.
‘Look at you looking at Becks there, who wore it better – you’ve copied him haven’t you!’ jibed the former England captain.
But the legendary bowler was adamant that it was in fact the other way round, joking: ‘I actually think he’s copied me!
‘Actually when he walked in to lunch he put his hand out to shake hands and he’s had surgery, he’s got a big plaster cast thing on his hand.
‘It was a bit awkward because I was sort of like how firm a handshake do I do here, but ended up doing a sort of tappy handshake with him which was a little bit awkward! But no, it was a lovely day.’
Also pictured in the Royal Box next to Beckham was former Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate, and English actor Eddie Redmayne.
England took a 1-0 lead into the second Test at Edgbaston after making short work of the almighty target of 371 for their second-highest ever successful chase.
It was a strong start, removing the dangerous KL Rahul for 2 in the ninth over, and then Karun Nair before lunch.
India fought back well, though, before Ben Stokes picked up the crucial wicket of young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal for 87, to bring the great entertainer Rishabh Pant to the crease at 161 for three.
It is the third Test of a massive period for Stokes and the Bazball era, with an away tour of Australia for the Ashes to come in December-January.
A win at Edgbaston will leave England one away from retaining the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy with three Tests remaining of the five.
