Sir Ian Terence Botham is a former England Test
cricketer
and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder
with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by
his nickname "Beefy". While a controversial
player both on and off the field at times, Botham also held a number of Test
cricket records, and still holds the record for the highest number of wickets
taken by an England bowler.
He is generally
regarded as being England's greatest ever all-rounder, particularly in Test
cricket, although having earned celebrity status, his award of a knighthood
was in recognition of his services to charity.
Then
began the most famous few weeks in English cricket history when Botham (under
Mike Brearley's captaincy) led England to an astonishing Ashes victory with
three performances - two with bat, one with ball - of mystical brilliance.
Every one led to victory and among them they caused a boom in support for
English cricket that reverberated through the decade. By the end of it, sober
judges were wondering if Botham had done more harm than good by making all
England believe, as he did, that cricket matches are won by inspiration not
preparation.
Though
he remained an international cricketer until 1992, the great days became fewer.
As his weight increased, his outswing became less effective. He could still hit
a cricket ball with enormous power, but never once did he pass the ultimate
exam of his era: scoring a Test century against the West Indians. Still, he
could be mystical. Banned by insistent newspaper demand in 1986 for taking
cannabis, he was recalled at The Oval against New Zealand, and with his second
and 12th balls took the two wickets he needed to equal and pass Dennis Lillee's
then-world record of 355 Test wickets. "Who writes your scripts?"
asked Graham Gooch.
Just like fellow
cricketers Jim Cumbes
and Arnold Sidebottom, Botham was also a talented footballer, and made 11 appearances in the Football League. On 8 August 2009, Botham
was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
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