English cricketer and now commentator, Ian Botham has had an extensive career. When it came to the latest cricket odds, if Botham was playing, then many people believed his team had a good chance of winning. Botham played for England in both Test and One-Day International cricket. He is regarded as one of the best all-rounders in the sport's history
Read on to learn more about Ian Botham.
Early Career
Both of Botham’s parents played cricket, and this started his love of the sport from a young age. Eventually, Botham went on to attend Bucklers Mead Comprehensive School and rose to become the captain of the under 16s cricket team at the age of 13.
Bill Andrews, the youth coach for Somerset County Cricket Club, was impressed by his efforts for the school. Botham dropped out of school in 1972 at the age of 16 with the goal of playing cricket for Somerset. However, Somerset decided he was too young for a professional deal, thus, Botham joined the Lord's grounds crew.
Eventually, Botham joined Somerset's under-25 team but didn't impress at first. He was seen as a better batsman than bowler. Nevertheless, he persisted in his practice and began to gain favor as a bowler and batter.
Professional Career
At the age of 17, Botham made his first senior appearance for Somerset. He was a regular player chosen from 1974 and was seen as very reliable.
He continued to play for Somerset until 1976. This year was particularly important for Botham as it marked the first time he had over 1,000 runs scored, and was the year he reached his first century. In addition to that, this was the year Botham was selected for two Limited Overs Internationals by England.
Botham eventually made his England debut in August 1976 against the West Indies. At the time, Botham was the youngest player on the team.
After 10 seasons at Somerset, in 1984 Botham was appointed the captain, but that season the team did poorly. Eventually, Botham left and went to play for Worcestershire in 1987 and stayed with them for another 5 seasons.
International Cricket
Botham played district cricket for the University of Melbourne Cricket Club in Melbourne, Australia during the winter of 1976–1977, following his first two international outings. Whitbread's Brewery sponsored him for the second half of the season via the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB).
During the 1987 to 88 seasons, Botham would return to play for an Australian team, but this time it was in Queensland for the Sheffield Shield. During his time here, he produced many half centuries and helped the team reach the final.
Botham had been chosen to play for England many times and participated in various tours around the world. He has played Tests against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand and the West Indies.
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Retirement
In 1991–1992, Botham completed his last tour, visiting Australia and New Zealand. He only participated in the final Test and the one-day series of the New Zealand trip. Then Botham participated in the first two Tests versus Pakistan. The second Test was at Lord's serving as his final Test appearance.
Botham went on to join Durham, a newcomer to the County Championship. While he did make a century in his first game, his bowling and batting abilities were nowhere near what they once were.
In 1992, Botham was awarded an OBE for his charity work and services to cricket. Then, Botham finally stepped down from cricket halfway through the 1993 season.
Achievements
Botham participated in 102 matches throughout the course of his 16-year Test career. His 5,200 runs were achieved at an average of 33.54. His best return was eight for 34, and he once reached ten wickets in a game. Overall, Botham got 383 wickets with an average of 28.40.
Botham competed in three Cricket World Cups: 1979, 1983, and 1992. Once he had retired, Botham had scored 5,200 runs, taken 383 wickets, and held 120 catches. He was also the 21st player in Test cricket to record the “double” of 1,000 runs with 100 wickets.
Playing Style
Ian Botham could often be seen playing for Somerset, but he also occasionally played for Worcestershire, Durham, and Queensland.
When it comes to his playing style, Botham was known for bowling right-arm fast-medium and was recognized for his swing bowling. He was also a very forceful right-handed hitter.
Botham frequently played in the slips and typically fielded near to the wicket. Botham set the record for most Test wickets from 1986 to 1988 and recorded 14 hundreds in Test cricket, with the best score of 208.
Conclusion
Ian Botham, had a very turbulent cricket career. Yet, he is seen as one of the best all-rounders since his batting and bowling skills were amazing. Botham played for Somerset, Worcestershire and represented England for numerous international games.
We hope this article has given you a better insight into cricket legend Ian Botham.