Sport

The notorious Beefy, who retired in 1993, is an accurate bowler, aggressive batsman, reliable fielder and a memorable party animal.

He became a hero in the 1981 Ashes (Botham's Ashes), where he was largely responsible for English glory at Headingley when his home side was in a dire situation. Bothham managed to pick up the England team and beat the Australians largely by himself, with a little help from Bob Willis.

But it wasn't always the good times that allowed the nation to be gripped by Botham. He was never short of a controversial moment and his off-the-wall antics were splattered across the tabloids. Incidents, such as suspension for smoking cannabis and being arrested for assault, saw his private life just as well documented as his cricket career.