Sir Ian Botham: Iam Botham Knighted

[Trigger_Tiger]

Ian Botham, one of the greatest cricketers of the modern era, has been knighted by the Queen in her Birthday Honours.

As a player Botham was one of the rare breed who emptied bars whether he was bowling or batting as he almost always made something happen. Since retiring he has raised more than £10 million for Leukemia Research with 11 walks in the UK and Europe.

"I'm delighted that I've been honoured, not only for myself but for the people that have helped me get there," he told the Press Association. "My wife Kath organised most of the walks and this will be very much a family celebration.

"I have been fortunate to go to the Palace on previous occasions and I'm excited about the prospect of going there. To go there under these circumstances will be a very proud moment, it's very nice to be recognised for what we have all achieved.

Source: cricinfo

Read full here (http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/298185.html).

[Rabz]

We Salute You, Sir Beefy.

Amazing to know that him and Sir Viv started together living in the same flat as teenagers.

Wonder if they talked about this times with dreamy eyes when they were young and had big dreams of making to it the top.

[Sohel]

Here's a cool excerpt from the article: -

"Looking back to his early years when he was a young player starting out at Somerset with Sir Viv Richards, who was knighted in 1999, Botham smiled. "How many people would have thought that Viv and I would be here when we started out in his flat as teenagers and used to go across the road to Roy Marshall's pub? They would make us feel very welcome and give us some tea because Viv and I were not the greatest in the cooking stakes."

Here's another dig: -

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/ci/content/current/story/298183.html

Cool excerpt: -

"Let's face it, Botham should have been knighted years ago. For the past decade in Tony Blair's Britain, the Honours System has been a sports and entertainment love-in. Arise Sir Clive Woodward, Arise Sir Elton John. Arise anyone who ever had anything to do with England's 1966 World Cup victory. But arise Sir Ian Botham, legendary allrounder, charity fundraiser and general bon viveur? Not on your nelly.


Perhaps that says more about Blair's disdain for cricket than anything else. In the 2006 New Year's Honours, in a shameful example of populist bandwagon-jumping, every single member of England's 2005 Ashes-winning squad was made an MBE or better - including poor Paul Collingwood, who made just 7 and 10 in his solitary match at The Oval, and was forced to live up to that ill-thought-out award in every innings of last winter's Ashes rematch. That he performed so admirably was a credit to the man himself, not to the system."

[MohammedC]

About time Imran Khan gets Knighted for making the cancer hospital