But Alec Stewart used him as an opening batsman in Game 3 of their last ODI series before the World Cup and Botham slammed 79 off 73 balls (11x4, 2x6) in Christchurch where England won by 71 runs
Ian Botham scored 53 and picked up 4 wickets v Oz at SCG in 1992
World Cup memory
Beefy's meaty show at Sydney
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Ian Botham was not expected to be a major force for England in the 1992 World Cup. In fact, his selection at the age of 36 for the tournament raised a few eyebrows. But Alec Stewart used him as an opening batsman in Game 3 of their last ODI series before the World Cup and Botham slammed 79 off 73 balls (11x4, 2x6) in Christchurch where England won by 71 runs.
'Beefy' Botham opened the batting against India in their first WC match at Perth and scored only nine before dismissing schoolboy chums Tendulkar and Kambli. After another low score against WI at Melbourne and an unbeaten six against Pakistan, Botham was determine to put his willow to good use against old enemy Australia at Sydney. The SCG saw vintage Botham as he cut and drove the Aussie bowlers to despair. His 53 off 77 balls came after a four-wicket spell of medium pace bowling. Allan Border was the pick of his scalps as Ian Healy, Peter Taylor and Craig McDermott followed suit. The fading all-rounder proved there was still some colour left in his cricket.
Virat Kohli
Man to watch
India skipper Virat Kohli is obviously going to be the most-followed star at this year's World Cup. Well, there's some news for South Africa, who will be India's first opponents in England: Kohli has struck a hundred in each of his opening games at the World Cup – 100* v Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2011 and 107 v Pakistan in Adelaide in 2015. Both were match-winning efforts.
Brian Lara
Did you know?
Kenyans Maurice Odumbe and Steve Tikolo approached Brian Lara for his autograph in the early 1990s only to be turned down by the master batsman. However, Lara was reminded of the refusal by the duo after Kenya beat WI in the 1996 World Cup at Pune.
David Boon
Figured out
Australian opening batsman David Boon started and ended the 1992 World Cup with the same score — 100 (against NZ at Auckland and versus West Indies at Melbourne)
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