England , Mar 08 (V7N) –The England and Wales Cricket Board has apologised for a social media post that joked the hospitalised Pope Francis "loves the Ashes", reports said.

 

"This was an ill-judged post and was swiftly deleted. We apologise for any offence," the British Broadcasting Corporation quoted an ECB spokesperson as saying.

A message on the X account of the 88-year old pope, who has been in hospital for nearly three weeks with pneumonia, was posted to mark Ash Wednesday.

"The Ashes remind us of who we are, which does us good," the post said.

According to the BBC and The Telegraph, the England Cricket account wrote in reply: "Even @Pontifex loves The Ashes." 

The post has since been deleted.

The Ashes in cricket is the high-profile Test series between great rivals England and Australia.

Francis missed the formal Ash Wednesday celebrations in Rome marking the start of Lent, but took part in a blessing in the private suite reserved for popes on the 10th floor of Rome's Gemelli hospital.

The pope recorded and released an audio message Thursday thanking those who have been praying for his recovery, his voice breathless. 

END/MSS/RH