NOT many would believe that England cricket legend Ian Botham is a prolific author, but he is
NOT many would believe that England cricket legend Ian Botham is a prolific author, but he is. Botham has
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Pakistan captain Imran Khan avoids a short pitched delivery from Ian Botham during the fourth Test at Edgbaston in 1987.
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written more than one autobiography, tour books, an unputdownable with his former Somerset captain Peter Roebuck entitled It Sort of Clicks and one called Botham's Century which features his most admired cricket personalities.
The cricketer turned commentator, now called Sir Ian Botham, has now compiled a list of British sporting heroes which The Independent newspaper interviewed him about.
Botham spoke about how hard it was to restrict the book to 50 personalities and even expressed a desire to write on 50 greatest sportsmen of his time.
Asked by the interviewer whether Pakistan great Imran Khan would be in it, Botham said: "No, he wouldn't get close. Wasn't good enough. It's not a personal thing. He just wasn't good enough." It can be recalled that Botham sued Imran Khan over ball-tampering in 1996 and lost.
"Maybe only two cricketers would get into my world top 50, Viv (Richards) and Shane Warne. Though I'd have to consider (Sachin) Tendulkar and (Brian) Lara."
According to Botham, men who would make his top ten in that book would be Usain Bolt, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Johan Cruyff, and Sean Fitzpatrick (All Blacks rugby star).
