Australian cricket legend Brett Lee left Fox presenter Mark Howard needing stitches after the pair were involved in a freak accident while filming a promotional video at the University of Sydney.
According The advertiserHoward had been holding the wicket when Lee brought out a cannon that knocked one of the bails off the stumps.
In a bizarre turn of events, the Australian Test great dislodged one of the bails and sent it flying towards the presenter, crouched behind the stumps.
The bail was reportedly “impaled on the TV host’s head,” with blood oozing from his forehead covering the bail that had opened him.
He was later sent to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where he was treated by a cricket-loving doctor.
‘We were filming today, doing a bowling challenge. I threw a ball, it went over the top, Howie stayed on, caught the ball and I heard two noises,’ Lee told The Advertiser.
“I saw him bent over and thought, ‘God, what happened,’ and I realized the bail went through him and impaled him right in the middle of the head and there was claret everywhere.
Brett Lee (left) left TV presenter Mark Howard (right) needing stitches this week after a bizarre bowling incident during a shoot.
Howard (right) stated that he would wear the scar as a badge of honor, adding that he “could say it was Brett Lee’s.”
Despite getting hit in the head by the bails, Howard managed to catch him.
Brett Lee (left) left TV presenter Mark Howard (right) needing stitches this week after a bizarre bowling incident during a shoot.
“I was bleeding quite a bit.”
Fortunately, Howard appears to be fine following the incident, posing for a photo alongside Lee while pointing out the stitched wound on his forehead and admitting he would still be present on Fox Cricket for the first installment of the second Test between India and Australia. , which starts on Friday.
He added that if a scar appeared on his forehead, he would wear the mark as a “badge of honour”, adding that he could say it was from legendary Australian bowler Brett Lee.
However, a couple of inches lower, Howard could have been in danger of losing his sight.
Lee, meanwhile, was horrified by the incident, stating: “In all my years playing cricket at a professional level, I have never seen a bail travel so fast or so quickly.”
“There was a one in a million chance of it happening and I think the bail hit him first before he caught the ball, meaning it must have literally hit the top of the stump.”
Even though Bail broke his head, Howard managed to catch the lightning bolt with his gloves, which he said he was “happy” for.
But he fell into a crouch after the bail hit him right in the forehead.
Brett Lee (left, with Michael Vaughan) said he had never seen anything like it in his life.
Lee took 310 wickets during his Test career and was one of Australia’s fiercest bowlers.
Lee (right) once punched British TV host Piers Morgan (left) in the ribs during a televised Nets session.
‘It was a million times waiting to happen. I’m glad it didn’t hit me in the eye. He (Lee) was very worried. There was blood everywhere and then there was an argument: ‘No, no, there’s definitely no ambulance,’ but there was a hospital literally 200 meters down the road,” Howard said.
‘They looked after me there, they were fantastic at RPA. There was a very nice doctor who was a big cricket fan and who was excited to be treating someone who was hit by Brett Lee, I think.
“Hopefully, if there’s a scar, I can always say it was from Brett Lee, which I think is a really good badge of honor.
“He might look a bit rough and ready on the shoot and probably a bit in the Test match, that’s what I would have thought.”
He added: “I’ll be there for the first dance on Friday and will no doubt get a lot of sympathy from my fellow Fox Cricket commentators.” I’m sure, unfortunately, you will have good coverage in all coverage.
Over the years, Lee has claimed several victims for his bowling, including British journalist Piers Morgan. The Australian cricketer had punched the British TV star during a networking session in 2013, and the Brit once claimed he fractured his ribs.
Lee added: “He’ll be looking forward to Friday.” Nothing changes for us. Keep hosting, keep calling, keep doing everything that Howie does and the great work that he does.
“He may be a little patched up like Rick McCosker, but he took it like a trooper and he’s tougher than some of the hitters I pitched against, 100 percent.”