Wimbledon always serves up a mix of world-class tennis and celebrity spotting, and this year was no different.
But things took a slightly awkward turn when former England cricketer Stuart Broad bumped into football royalty David Beckham – and wasn’t quite sure how to greet him without making things worse.
A Wristy Situation
Broad, known for his wicked bowling and sharp wit, shared that he had a slightly uncomfortable encounter with Beckham earlier in the week.
The ex-footballer is recovering from wrist surgery after dealing with what he described as “unbearable” pain caused by an old injury from his England days over two decades ago.
Becks, 50, had to go under the knife to remove a screw from his wrist – a leftover from a tackle all those years ago.
Since then, he’s been sporting a hefty cast and sling combo, and it was this very cast that had Broad second-guessing how to manage a simple handshake.
The Matching Outfit Moment
Broad and Beckham’s run-in happened on Day One at SW19, where both were seated in the exclusive Royal Box at Centre Court.
Amusingly, they both turned up in near-identical outfits – light cream blazers, pale blue shirts, and brown ties.
Who wore it better? Well, the debate kicked off right away.
Nasser Hussain, Broad’s fellow commentator, wasted no time poking fun at him live on air, saying, “You’ve copied Becks, haven’t you?” Broad, never one to back down, responded with a cheeky grin, “No way – I think he copied me!”
The Delicate Handshake Dilemma
But it wasn’t all fashion face-offs. Broad recounted the moment Beckham walked in for lunch and offered his injured hand.
“It was a bit awkward,” he admitted.
“I was like, ‘How firm do I go here?’ So I did this weird little tap handshake thing.”
Despite the minor awkwardness, Broad added that the whole day was “lovely.”
A Star-Studded Line-Up
Wimbledon’s Royal Box was packed with familiar faces.
Sitting beside Beckham were former England manager Gareth Southgate and actor Eddie Redmayne, adding to the star power of the day.
Meanwhile, Back on the Cricket Field…
While Broad was enjoying his time at Wimbledon, England were busy doing what they do best on the pitch.
The second Test against India kicked off at Edgbaston with England riding high after a record-breaking chase of 371 in the first match – their second-best ever.
They started strong again, removing key Indian batter KL Rahul for just 2 runs early on and sending Karun Nair back before lunch.
India put up a decent fight, but Ben Stokes delivered once more, snatching the wicket of the explosive Yashasvi Jaiswal just shy of a century.
What’s at Stake for England
This match is a big one – the third in a crucial five-Test series that could define this era of England cricket under the aggressive “Bazball” strategy.
A win here would put them just one victory away from clinching the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, with three more Tests to go before heading Down Under for the Ashes later this year.