Name:

Botham, Ian T

Nickname:

Beefy

Date of Birth:

24 Nov 1955

Gender:

Men

Place of Birth:

Oldfield, Cheshire

Career:

Test: 1977 - 1992
ODI: 1976 - 1992

Teams:

Somerset (Regional)
England (Country)

Ian Botham: Greatest Hits

Sir Ian Botham: Explosive allrounder and match winner

Sir Ian Botham was born on 24 Nov 1955 in Oldfield, Cheshire. Botham is considered one of the world's greatest all round cricketers. He was an aggressive swing bowler and hard hitting middle order batsman. He was also a brilliant slip fieldsman.

He made an immediate impact upon making his Test debut against Australia in the 3rd Test of the 1977 Ashes series, taking 5-74.

Botham became the first player to score a century and take eight wickets against Pakistan at Lord's in 1978. He was the fastest to score 1,000 runs and take 100 wickets in Tests - a feat he accomplished in just 21 matches in 1979. He played in an era that had a rich array of quality allrounders in Richard Hadlee, Kapil Dev and Imran Khan.

Botham will be remembered for many things during a colourful career, but none will be remembered as fondly in England as his Headingley heroics in the 1981 Ashes series. It was the quintessential all-rounder's performance, as "Beefy" claimed six wickets in one innings and hit 149 in another to seal a famous win for England.

With 9 bowling entries and a batting entry, Botham's name appears more often than any other player on the Lord's Honours Boards which records 5 wicket hauls and centuries.

During his career, Botham was involved in many controversies including drug-taking that first emerged after the 1984 tour of New Zealand. He also riled Pakistan fans when he stated that it's the "the kind of place to send your mother-in-law for a month, all expenses paid" in a radio interview in 1984.

He also had a long running feud with Ian Chappell after a clash in a Melbourne bar in 1977 prior to Botham making his international debut. Botham and Allan Lamb lost a libel action against ex-Pakistan captain Imran Khan in 1996 after falsely accusing the Pakistani of ball tampering.

Botham went on to play 102 Tests. Botham finished his Test career with 5,200 runs at an average of 33.54, taking 383 wickets at an average of 28.40, and holding 120 catches.

Botham was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.

He is generally regarded as being England's greatest ever all-rounder. 

In retirement, Sir Ian Botham remained a prominent and influential figure in the cricketing world and beyond. He became a popular television commentator and analyst, known for his candid opinions and deep knowledge of the game.

Beyond broadcasting, Botham dedicated significant energy to charitable work, particularly for leukemia research, famously undertaking long-distance charity walks across Britain and abroad. His fundraising efforts have raised millions of pounds and earned widespread admiration. He also held various ambassadorial and leadership roles, including being appointed as a trade envoy to Australia in 2021.

Botham's legacy as a cricketing legend and committed humanitarian continues to shape his public life. He was awarded a knighthood, more for his services to charitable works than his cricketing feats.

Source: CricketCrowd Staff Reporter