Former Australia captain Kim Hughes has recalled making "one of my biggest stuff-ups" when he met the Queen during the second Ashes Test at Lord's in 1981.
As captain, Hughes was tasked with introducing the Queen to his teammates, but embarrassingly forgot reserve wicketkeeper Steve Rixon's name. "It was one of my biggest stuff-ups," Hughes told the West Australian .
"We were meeting her at tea-time and I was that nervous with the buzz and excitement. I was thinking I was going to be sweaty and whatever you do, don't touch her on the arm, don't do this, don't do that, is it Her Majesty or Your Majesty ... I was up in a knot.
"I started off well, but because I was that uptight I could not remember Steve's name and he had to introduce himself. When she'd finished, she must have thought, 'Gee, the convicts haven't improved too much over the past 200 years'.
"When I met her again at Government House, I was just hoping she didn't remember me for the stuff-up I made at Lord's." Hughes also paid tribute to the Queen as "inspirational" and "unbelievable" following her death on Thursday at the age of 96.
"I've always been in awe of her," he added. "Under the spotlight everywhere for 70 years, she’s never, ever done anything untoward or beyond the pale.
"She has just been unbelievable with her selfless service to her country and the Commonwealth. She's been inspirational."
England legend Lord Ian Botham also paid tribute to the Queen, having met her several times during his cricket career before being knighted by her in 2007. "The Queen spoke to me for quite some time during my investiture and it was mainly about the charity work," Botham told Mirror Sport.
"It was a very special day. Any time you met the Queen was a special moment and I was lucky enough that I first met her on my debut which made everything that extra bit special. It was a moment that passed by very quickly, but one that I will never forget. I was walking on air after that."
