On Wednesday, the road in front of Buckingham Palace was temporarily transformed into a cricket pitch as the Prince of Wales hosted an informal match featuring prominent figures from the cricketing world. The event brought traffic to a halt along The Mall in London and served as a precursor to the upcoming Earthshot Prize ceremony, which will take place in Mumbai next month.

Prince William played alongside leading players from England and former Indian cricket captains, joined by West Indies legend Brian Lara. Among the England squad present were Joe Root, Harry Brook, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Issy Wong, while former Indian captains Sourav Ganguly and Ajinkya Rahane also took part. BBC Radio 1 DJ Greg James and former England fast bowler Sir Jimmy Anderson, co-hosts of the Tailenders cricket podcast, were also in attendance.

Dressed in navy blue chinos and brown suede trainers, William actively participated for approximately ten minutes, removing his jacket for the game. Observers noted his competence at batting, though his bowling was described as needing improvement. Root, who characterized the temporary pitch on The Mall as a “challenging wicket,” remarked that while the prince is more accomplished with the bat than the ball, he displayed some promising shots. Lara commented that William tends to underrate his own skills, suggesting that while his bowling requires development, his batting could secure him a spot as a middle-order player.

The match attracted a crowd of spectators along The Mall, with the prince engaging with attendees through selfies and handshakes. In a gesture reflecting his family’s interest in cricket, Nat Sciver-Brunt presented William with an England cricket shirt for Princess Charlotte, who reportedly plays the sport at Lambrook School.

This gathering highlighted cricket’s cultural significance between England and India and served as a symbolic lead-up to the Earthshot Prize award ceremony, an environmental initiative founded by the prince aimed at inspiring innovative solutions to global challenges.