Wednesday, 30th May 2007 at 1:47 pm

Arise, Sir Ian Botham

Had honours been dished out in 1981 quite as readily as they are now (Stuart Abbott’s OBE post-Rugby World Cup, anyone?), then Ian Botham would have had his new title the moment he’d finished winning the Ashes single-handedly; instead, he’s had to wait 26 years to feel blade on shoulder, and swap ‘Beefy’ for ‘Sir Ian’.

The new title comes into effect in the next batch of Queen’s honours; despite his cricketing exploits, however, it’s not his work as dynamic all-rounder that has won him recognition. Botham’s work for leukaemia has seen him take eleven high-profile walks up and down England to raise money; over eleven million pounds and counting is a substantial testament to Botham’s commitment to the cause.

And so there’ll be few complaints at the title bestowed upon one of England’s most popular sportsmen, and cricket’s most entertaining characters. Sir Ian Botham? Has quite a ring to it, really.