[Abernathy]

I just wanted to say that Lord Ian Botham is a massive cunt.

Dunno why.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

I suspect because he is a massive cunt.

Just a guess...

[Abernathy]

You win today’s coconut.

[davidjay]

I suspect because he is a massive cunt.

Just a guess...

You have to present a more in-depth argument.

He's massive, and he's a cunt.

[mattomac]

Any reason for this dawn of realisation

[Abernathy]

See above.

[Bones McCoy]

I think CLR James summed it up best in Beyond a Boundary.

What know they of cricket who only cricket know.

[Arrowhead]

I just wanted to say that Lord Ian Botham is a massive cunt.

Dunno why.

But, but, but………..

Quit Somerset when they sacked Garner and Richards for “not trying hard enough”
Didn’t take part in any of the assorted rebel tours to South Africa
Loads of charity walks, raising millions for needy causes

None of these things matter a jot if you ultimately reveal yourself to be a cunt of intergalactic proportions.

Botham is an excellent example of somebody who has gradually eroded his reputation over a long period of time. Plus, he was a dreadful, boorish commentator.

[davidjay]

Someone who knows a lot more about cricket than I do said that the reason he left Somerset was a lot less altruistic than the excuse he gave, and that he turned down the rebel tours because being the Last Remaining Englishman was more lucrative. Either way, he's a cunt.

[Watchman]

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sir- ... rade-envoy

Looks like he’s on the “jolly boys outings” circuit

[Nigredo]

Lord Botham of Valencia.

[Youngian]

Someone I knew who worked at a prominent London theatre would bitch about many tricky celebrities but had a particular loathing for Ian Botham. He was in a stage show with some other name who turned up one night with a shocking cold. Forgotten who the other person was (have a feeling it was John Virgo) but pro enough to have carried it if Botham turned up looking like death warmed up. Botham grabbed his co-star by his collar, filled the sink with cold water and dunked his head until he ‘pulled himself together.’ Good old stiff upper lip Beefy, as long as someone else’s lip is freezing.

[Andy McDandy]

He also did those "Revitive" ads for these electric pads you stood on, and they were your standard JML tat. Anyway at the end of the ad he led his "friends" off into the woods much as you might imagine a serial killer would.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Lord Beefy hasn't spoken for 19 months and not voted for 11 months.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

He also did those "Revitive" ads for these electric pads you stood on, and they were your standard JML tat. Anyway at the end of the ad he led his "friends" off into the woods much as you might imagine a serial killer would.

Actually, they work and are recommended by my diabetic consultant.

Stopped clock and that.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Somerset was probably a mixture of loyalty to Richards (Garner was getting on, and wouldn't have been able to take the wickets counties expected from their overseas fast bowlers any more), personal (he was no longer captain) and cricketing (Somerset weren't very good, Worcester were on their way up).

He would have been a fool to go on the first South Africa tour. He was the biggest player by far, way bigger than Gooch who was the biggest rebel and made a bad decision. I'll give him Botham "credit" for the second one though. He wasn't a test standard bowler any more, and his batting wasn't consistent enough even for the England collapsing batting line ups of the day. The contract was for 2 tours, the second of which never happened, but the players got paid in full anyway. His value as a county cricketer probably would have gone up from being unavailable for England.

[Watchman]

Lord Beefy hasn't spoken for 19 months and not voted for 11 months.

How often did he “sign in” to get his £300?

[davidjay]

Didn't also his peak years coincide with every other country except the West Indies, and Australia in particular, being notably shite?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Australia were strong when he started, except that those players joined Packer. He got his early wickets against what you might call "Australia A". Having said this, Botham's bowling looks seriously good on highlights, with very late sharp outswing which a weaker batsman might miss altogether, whereas a good one would get an edge. So I take his figures from this era seriously, in spite of the weakened opposition.

When Australia got their best players back, they were a good side again and could easily have won the Botham's Ashes series. They beat England at home in the next series, but were poor again in 1985 and 1986/7. Overall, yeah, a good era to play Australia. A bad era to play West Indies though. And maybe a good era to avoid South Africa.

[mattomac]

Somerset was probably a mixture of loyalty to Richards (Garner was getting on, and wouldn't have been able to take the wickets counties expected from their overseas fast bowlers any more), personal (he was no longer captain) and cricketing (Somerset weren't very good, Worcester were on their way up).

He would have been a fool to go on the first South Africa tour. He was the biggest player by far, way bigger than Gooch who was the biggest rebel and made a bad decision. I'll give him Botham "credit" for the second one though. He wasn't a test standard bowler any more, and his batting wasn't consistent enough even for the England collapsing batting line ups of the day. The contract was for 2 tours, the second of which never happened, but the players got paid in full anyway. His value as a county cricketer probably would have gone up from being unavailable for England.

See the current golfers trying to tie themselves in knots over this LIV tour does suggest that those who show even the inch of principle do have some positive light.