Sporting icons : Ian Botham , his glittering cricket career & Video

 

Sir Ian Terence Botham was a former English cricketer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders in the history of the sport. Born on 24th November 1955 , he played for the England cricket team during the 1970s and 1980s, making significant contributions with both bat and ball. Botham is known for his aggressive style of play and numerous memorable performances, including his achievements in Test cricket and his role in the 1981 Ashes series, where he played a pivotal role in England's comeback.

Ian Botham had a remarkable cricket career with numerous highlights. Here are some key details:

1. **Debut:**

   - Botham made his Test debut for England against Australia in 1977 and took 5 wickets in a test win .

2. **All-Round Prowess:**

   - Known for his exceptional all-round skills, Botham scored over 5,000 runs and took more than 380 wickets in Test cricket.

3 *Spectacular records* 

In test cricket  Botham scored  5200 runs at 34 average and 14 hundreds in 102 tests . He took 383 test wickets at 28 average with 27 five wicket hauls . He was a brilliant slip fielder & took 120 test catches . 

In ODIs  Botham scored  2113 runs in 116 ODIs & got 145 wickets 

In first class cricket  Botham scored  19399 runs in 402 matches at 34 average and 38 hundreds & took 1172 wickets 

In List A games Botham scored  10474 runs and took 612 wickets in 470 matches 

5. **Memorable performances**

   - Botham's most famous series was the 1981 Ashes, where he played a crucial role in England's historic turnaround. His innings at Headingley, scoring 149 not out, and his subsequent bowling performances were instrumental in England's series win.

At Leeds  England was following on 226 behind . Botham took 6 wickets in  Australia innings and scored 50 in 1st innings.  However his main moment came when he played a breathtaking attacking innings in 2nd dig with England starting at defeat to go down 0-2 in the series . His sensational knocked helped England to take a token 130 lead and the Aussies choked on a difficult last day pitch to be bundled out for 111 in a spectacular loss. 

In the next test in another low scoring 4th innings chase Botham took 5 wickets for 1 one to bring heartbreak for Australia again as England took the series lead  by 2-1 

Botham scored another blistering 118 in the 5th test to set up the 1981 Ashes series win . 

In 1980 Golden Jubilee test , Botham after taking 6 wickets in India's 1st innings of 249 , rescued England from a precarious 58/5 to play a stellar knock of 114  & then took 7 wickets in 2nd Indian innings to seal England win . 

At the Gabba in 1986 Botham plundered 138 and took 3 crucial wickets to win the first Ashes test of 1986/87 series & took 5 wickets in 1st innings in the 4th test to set up an Ashes win in Australia . 

5. **Century and 13 Wickets in a Match:**

   - In 1978, Botham scored a century and took 13 wickets in a Test match against Pakistan at Lord's.  He repeated the feat vs India in a 1980 test at Mumbai 

6. **Captaincy:**

   - Botham captained the England cricket team from 1980 to 1981. However, his tenure was challenging, marked by controversies and mixed team performances.

7. **World Records:**

   - Botham held the record for the most Test wickets by an England bowler until it was surpassed by James Anderson. He also held the record for the highest number of sixes in Test cricket at the time of his retirement.

8. **ODI Contributions:**

   - Botham was a key player in One Day Internationals (ODIs) as well. He played in three Cricket World Cups and played a significant role in England's good show in the 1992 Cricket World Cup.

9. **County Cricket:**

   - Botham had a successful county cricket career, primarily with Somerset. He played a crucial role in Somerset's success in the domestic circuit.

10  *Playing style* 

Botham was an attacking batter capable of turning matches with his aggressive batting but he was also capable of playing longer innings & getting big scores.

As a bowler he used to generate some pace in his earlier years and used to swing the ball prodigiously in helpful conditions. 

He was heavily built but was a very agile fielder in the slips and used to snap up brilliant catches . 

11.  **Knighthood:**

   - In 2007, Ian Botham was knighted for his services to cricket and charity work.

Overall, Botham's impact on the game extends beyond statistics, as he became a cricketing legend and a charismatic figure in the sport's history.

In the below video  watch his epic and breathtaking  149 not out that turned the Ashes series of 1981 on its head .