Ashes 2023

Watch: Stuart Broad kicks football into own face during Old Trafford practice session | Ashes 2023

by Wisden Staff July 18, 2023 - 8:32am 2 minute read

Watch: A football session between the England players soon turned into a moment of despair for Stuart Broad when he kicked the ball into his own face, eliciting laughter from all around.

England are currently enjoying a nine-day break after their win in the third Ashes Test match, which allowed them to keep the Ashes alive. After losing the first two games, the hosts bounced back at Leeds to take the Test by three wickets.

However, they need to win both the remaining Test matches, at Old Trafford and the Kia Oval, to keep the Ashes alive.

They have already announced the XI for the fourth Test, from July 19 at Old Trafford. Moeen Ali is confirmed to slot in at No.3.

As they are gearing up for the fourth Test match, the England cricketers were involved in a light-hearted group football session, kicking the ball back and forth to each other.

The rules were simple: If the football was kicked your way, you had to kick it back without it touching the ground.

When the ball went towards Broad, he turned around and ran towards it. He kicked the ball up just as it was landing, but did not get the desired elevation, and the ball went on to strike him in his face.

The incident left his teammates in splits, and Broad himself saw the funny side of it as well.

With 16 wickets, Broad is the leading wicket-taker of the 2023 Ashes.