A viral artificial intelligence trend that transforms modern photographs into glamorous 1980s-style portraits has now made its way into the world of cricket, with former England stars Stuart Broad, Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton becoming part of the social media craze.
The trend, which has been spreading rapidly across Instagram and other social platforms, uses AI tools to recreate people’s appearances in the distinctive visual style of the 1980s. The results typically feature big hairstyles, retro clothing, dramatic lighting, film-grain effects and a distinctly vintage photography aesthetic.
What began largely as a social-media experiment has now found an unexpected audience among cricket personalities. During the ongoing third and final Test between England and Pakistan at Edgbaston, the viral AI trend became a source of entertainment for members of the Sky Sports commentary team.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain was seen looking through AI-generated retro images of several cricket personalities, with Stuart Broad and Ian Ward joining in on the fun.
Broad himself has shared AI-generated images featuring several former and current cricket figures, giving fans a glimpse at what the players and commentators might have looked like if they had been photographed during the height of 1980s fashion.
The images gave well-known cricket personalities dramatically different appearances, with some becoming almost unrecognisable after being transformed by the AI effect.
Broad’s retro makeover became one of the highlights of the social-media trend. Hussain also took the opportunity to jokingly comment on the former fast bowler’s AI-generated appearance while presenting the images to his colleagues.
Eoin Morgan was among those who received a particularly striking transformation. The former England white-ball captain’s retro avatar looked dramatically different from his familiar modern appearance.
However, the biggest laughs reportedly came when the group reached the AI-generated image of Michael Atherton.
Hussain compared Atherton’s appearance to the famous 1980s television character associated with Miami Vice, pointing out the former England captain’s hairstyle and overall retro appearance.
The most amusing moment came when Hussain’s own AI-generated 1980s photograph appeared on screen.
Looking at the transformation, Hussain jokingly questioned what had happened to him, drawing laughter from Broad and Ward.
The images have added another layer of entertainment to the ongoing Test match coverage, showing how AI-generated visual trends are increasingly becoming part of everyday social-media culture.
The 1980s aesthetic has become particularly popular because it creates a dramatic contrast between a person’s current appearance and the exaggerated fashion associated with the decade.
AI tools can recreate elements such as oversized hairstyles, colourful shirts, leather jackets, vintage sunglasses, studio photography, soft lighting and analogue film effects within seconds.
The trend has spread beyond celebrities and sports personalities, with ordinary social-media users also experimenting with prompts that turn their photographs into fictional 1980s portraits.
The popularity of the trend also reflects how easily generative AI can now be used for entertainment. Users no longer need professional photo-editing software or extensive technical knowledge to produce highly stylised images.
In the cricket world, the trend has provided commentators and former players with an opportunity to entertain viewers away from the seriousness of the match itself.
The timing was particularly interesting because England and Pakistan were playing the third Test at Edgbaston, giving the Sky Sports team plenty of opportunities to interact with viewers and discuss the viral images during the day’s coverage.
While the AI makeover was being discussed, the cricket itself was producing a dramatic contest.
England won the toss and elected to bowl first, with captain Joe Root’s decision quickly appearing justified as Pakistan struggled against the English bowling attack.
Pakistan lost four wickets during the opening hour and were reduced to seven wickets before lunch. Their top five batters all failed to make a significant contribution, putting the visitors under immediate pressure.
Saud Shakeel provided some resistance with a fighting 43, but Pakistan were eventually dismissed for just 133 runs in 33.5 overs.
England then began its own innings and took the lead during the final session, although the hosts also lost four wickets in the process.
The match therefore provided plenty of material for the commentary team, but the unexpected AI trend became one of the lighter moments surrounding the Test.
The fascination with AI-generated 1980s photographs is not limited to cricket. Similar images have been appearing across social media as users experiment with different decades, fashion styles and cinematic aesthetics.
The trend works particularly well with celebrities because audiences already recognise their modern appearance. Seeing a familiar face suddenly transformed with an exaggerated hairstyle and period clothing creates an immediate visual contrast.
For former cricketers such as Broad, Hussain and Atherton, the effect is even more entertaining because their careers already span several eras of the sport.
Stuart Broad retired from international cricket in 2023 after a long career with England and remains a familiar face to fans through his broadcasting work.
Nasser Hussain, meanwhile, has become one of the recognisable voices of modern cricket broadcasting after his playing career. Michael Atherton has similarly established himself as a prominent cricket commentator and analyst.
Their involvement in the AI trend demonstrates how generative AI is increasingly blurring the boundary between entertainment, photography and social-media culture.
At the same time, such images should be understood as AI-generated recreations rather than authentic photographs from the past. The technology can create highly convincing results, but the images are fictional representations produced from prompts or other AI instructions.
That distinction is becoming increasingly important as AI-generated photographs become more realistic and widespread.
For now, however, the 1980s cricket makeover is being treated largely as harmless entertainment.
The images have given fans a chance to imagine what their favourite cricket stars might have looked like in another decade, while also allowing the players and commentators themselves to laugh at their exaggerated AI transformations.
The viral trend has also demonstrated how quickly an online visual craze can move into mainstream sports coverage.
What started as an Instagram trend eventually appeared during live cricket discussions at Edgbaston, with some of England’s most recognisable former players becoming part of the phenomenon.
As generative AI tools continue to become easier to use, similar trends are likely to appear across sports, entertainment and popular culture.
For cricket fans, the latest craze has already produced plenty of memorable images—and perhaps the most entertaining reaction of all came from Nasser Hussain himself, who could only look at his AI-generated 1980s avatar and wonder what had happened to him.
