England's Joe Root (L) leaves the field after being dismissed as team-mate Stuart Broad looks on during the second cricket test match at Lord's cricket ground in London July 21, 2014.
England's Joe Root (L) leaves the field after being dismissed as team-mate Stuart Broad looks on during the second cricket test match at Lord's cricket ground in London July 21, 2014. REUTERS

Their last few games look haunted. It must be because something must be really spooking these Englishmen.

During the arduous ongoing nine Tests of futility, England is trying to come to terms with what ails the team, natural or supernatural, may it be. Paceman Stuart Broad is claiming that the team is losing sleep and stamina because of ghost presence in their hotel. The cricketer said that several players of their team have had difficulty sleeping in the five-star Langham Hotel in central London, with several other teammates even demanding to change rooms.

"During the Sri Lanka Test I had to move rooms," Broad told UK tabloid Daily Mail. "It was so hot in the room I just couldn't sleep. All of a sudden the taps in the bathroom came on for no reason. I turned the lights on and the taps turned themselves off. Then when I turned the lights off again the taps came on. It was very weird."

Broad related that he had to revert to bunking with teammate Matt Prior in the wicketkeeper's twin room after he was convinced that a presence was haunting the room. A fan favorite in Australia, Broad gained popularity with his nick to first slip in last year's Ashes opener in Trent Bridge. His latest tales of the supernatural hauntings will only fuel opposition fans with plenty things to nerve him during games.

This is not the first time that ghost encounters became new worthy as Australia allrounder Shane Watson recounted the same tale in 2005 during his stay at Durham's Lumley Castle. He also had to transfer to a teammates room after experiencing uneasy nights in his own room.

England's ghostly encounter revives memories of Australia allrounder Shane Watson's experience at Durham's Lumley Castle in 2005, when he spent part of a night sleeping in Brett Lee's room after having his sleep disturbed. Watson according to stories was visited by the ghost of Lily Lumley when the Australian team stayed there for the Ashes tour. Watson has since then recanted the story and blamed the incident to an active imagination after being fed with tall tales of Lily Lumley.

Nevertheless, the team is still reeling from a very dismal showing since their 5-0 Ashes defeat Down Under as they look to break their nine-match winless Test debacle. England will have to overcome the physical rigors and the mental issues of supernatural tales in order to chase down 319 on the final day of their second Test against India.