Ian Botham Is Wrong About England Beating The West Indies
Sir Ian Botham is famous for making predictions about which team will beat which. One of his latest predictions is that England will beat the West Indies. Will this prediction prove wrong?
Any cricket fan knows who Si Ian Botham is. For those who are wondering why Bothams' predictions are taken even half-seriously, Botham is a cricket legend in England. Born in 1955 in the Wirral to two cricket playing parents, he showed promise as a school boy with the sport.
His parents wondered what he was actually going to do with his life even though playing a sport like cricket was a fine recreational activity in their eyes. He played grade cricket in Melbourne during his youth in the late 1970's.
Later, in England he became the greatest test cricketer of all time. For this reason, his experience playing the test cricket circuit between England and Australia, he has the ability to make sound predictions. He became the cricketer with the highest number of wickets ever by an English bowler.
Nicknamed Beefy, Botham has also had his share of scandal, at once being lambasted for having an affair that resulted in a near disaster for his marriage to wife, Kath. He and Kath have been married since the 1970s and have three children, two of whom follow in their father's footsteps. Son, Liam, plays cricket, too, and daughter, Sarah, is a commentator for Sky.
Member of the OBE, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2007. He also had a television show On the Fly where he would interview various celebrity guests. Currently, he is a sports-bet site, Unibet's, ambassador.
Botham's Cricket And Rugby Career
Before becoming a professional cricketer, he made the scene in 1977 in Australia's University of Melbourne Cricket club. In the Third Test he took for England against Australia he took five wickets totaling 74 runs in the first innings of the match.
His successful test cricket career spanned 15 years and made him a champion of the sport, resulting in being knighted by Queen Elizabeth and being entered into the Cricket Hall of Fame.
After suffering an injury playing cricket in 1980 he joined a football league in order to heal himself. He joined the football club, Sc**thorpe United, and played 11 games as center half.
Why Botham May Be Wrong About Recent Predictions
With his impressive career and sports experience, one can understand how, when it comes to Australia and the West Indies, Botham can make accurate predictions of team performance.
Still, a claim that England could whitewash their rivals is a huge one to make. He is supported by Andy Flowers, another English legend who believes victory this summer could happen. This will be a first since Botham's Ashes happened in 1981.
A reason Botham's prediction could be right is that Australia has a young and relatively inexperienced squad. Chris Rogers, 35, only has one test cap under his belt. Brad Haddin, also 35, and two other teammates refused to come out of retirement to help out on the summer tour, so that adds to that team's weakness, as Botham sees it.
Botham also sees these players as struggling in several areas of play. In addition to this, bringing back any Australian players of 35 years of age is a huge mistake and is something Australia has never done before. That they are doing it now is certain doom for them against England. The West Indies team, he believes, is headed for that same doom against England.
Botham is confident this is the weakest team the West Indies has ever seen. With his predictions about Australia and his experience, his assessment of West Indies may be on the right path. He predicts that England is sure to beat the West Indies 3-0, but that could prove wrong.
Whether a fan of Sir Ian Botham or new to his name, there is every chance Botham's most recent prediction for an English win will come to pass. He is not making predictions lightly or out of contempt. He knows how to assess teams and their abilities precisely, having been one of the world's top cricket players of all time.
