Sir Ian Botham, OBE

Career: former professional cricketer; Somerset CCC: second XI 1971, first class debut 1974, awarded county cap 1976, capt 1984-85, benefit 1984; Worcestershire CCC 1987-91 (capped 1987), Queensland Aust off-season 1987-88, Durham CCC 1992-93 (capped 1992); England: 116 one day ints, 102 test matches 1977-92, capt 12 tests 1980-81, highest score 208 v India Oval 1982, best bowling 8 for 34 v Pakistan Lord's 1978; tours: Pakistan/NZ 1977-78, Aust 1978-79, Aust and India 1979-80, W Indies 1980-81, India 1981-82, Aust/NZ 1982-83, W Indies 1985-86, Aust 1986-87, NZ/Aust 1991-92; pt/t technical advsr England squad Zimbabwe and New Zealand 1996-97; test records incl: scored 1000 runs and took 100 wickets in fewest matches, first player to score a century and take 8 wickets in an innings (v Pakistan Lord's 1978), scored third fastest double century by Englishman (200 in 272 minutes v India Oval 1982); BBC TV Sporting Personality of the Year 1981; team capt Question of Sport (BBC 1) until 1996, currently cricket commentator Sky TV; chm Mission Sports Mgmnt Ltd; various appearances in pantomime, raised over £3m for Leukaemia Research through long-distance walks

Books and Publications: incl: Botham Down Under, High, Wide and Handsome, It Sort of Clicks (with Peter Roebuck), Cricket My Way (with Jack Bannister), The Incredible Tests (with late Peter Smith), Botham: My Autobiography (with Peter Hayter, 1994), The Botham Report (1997), Botham's Century (2001), Head On: The Autobiography (2007), Ian Botham on Fishing (2008), My Sporting Heroes (2009)