Rishi Sunak turns down offer to throw first pitch at US baseball game

Rishi Sunak has passed up on the chance to throw the first pitch at a baseball game during his visit to the US.

The Prime Minister will be the guest of honour as the Washington Nationals take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in a special game on Wednesday night.

The event celebrating “UK-US friendship” will involve a military flyover and performances by the Royal Marine Corps of Drums and the Washington Tattoo, as well as the singing of God Save the King and the Star Spangled Banner.

It had been reported that Downing Street officials had been in talks with their Washington counterparts for Mr Sunak to throw the ceremonial first pitch, an honour usually granted to VIPs such as US presidents and celebrities.

But instead, he will simply shake hands with the players.

Stuart Taylor, a former serviceman in the British Army who now runs the Allied Forces Foundation, will throw the ball in Mr Sunak’s place.

Asked if Mr Sunak, who is a cricket fan, was too nervous to throw the ball, the PM’s spokesman said: “No.”

Celebrities who have struggled with the honour in the past include Mariah Carey, who threw the first ball while wearing four-inch heels, and Victoria Beckham, who opened a game for the Dodgers after moving to Los Angeles.

Nancy Pelosi, the 83-year-old former speaker of the House of Representatives, was due to throw the ceremonial first pitch at the Nationals’ game on Tuesday night.