Cricketing maverick.
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One of the greatest all-rounders to have ever played the game.
Cricket commentator who tells it like it is, never afraid to speak his mind on a range of issues from racism in cricket to what needs to be done to promote the game he loves to a global audience.
These are just some snippets to describe Lord Ian Botham, who was in Wollongong on Wednesday touring facilities at UOW's Innovation Campus, including the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre and iAccelerate.
The former England cricket captain, member of the House of Lords and United Kingdom Trade Envoy to Australia, also met Wollongong business leaders during the visit to shed light on the ever-evolving landscape of Australia-UK businesses.
But this reporter was more interested on what Botham had to say about the state of the game in England.
On the pitch the Poms have been lauded rightly so for their free-flowing Bazzball approach to Test cricket.
England have also enjoyed success with the white ball but the reigning T20 and one-day champions are struggling at the current 2023 World Cup in India.
Like Australia, England have won only one of their three one-day matches to date but Botham is confident the perennial heavyweights can bounce back and challenge for the title.
"There's no other word for it, they're both struggling but there is still a long way to go so things can happen," he said.
"But the guys out ahead now with the points on the board will be hard to catch.
"I thought South Africa had a great chance and the Netherlands beat them overnight, so it is wide open.
"I do however think India have got to be in the race and I think New Zealand will be up there as well."
England may be struggling in the shorter-form of the game but Botham was loving the way Ben Stokes' men were playing Test cricket.
"Test cricket's fantastic. They're changing the whole concept of Test cricket," he said.
"The way they play, it's aggressive but it's controlled and it's putting bums on seats. So the grounds are full again.
"They starting to fill up in India, They try to play the same way and I think it will spread through the world of cricket.
"We went through a period to be honest where sides were scared to lose, the England side are not scared to lose, and that's the big difference."
On the back of the next T20 World Cup being held in North America in 2024, Botham was pleased to see cricket also included for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
"I think any global sport occasionally needs a kick up the backside and I think cricket has gone through that period now and I think it will come back stronger. I think it's exciting times ahead," he said.
"It's only a year and a half before we are back here to take on Australia in the Ashes. Both sides will be building up to that, we've got players who will be going out and players who will be coming in, so it will be interesting to see how both sides develop."
A swashbuckling all-rounder who caused Australia his fair share of pain with both bat and ball in his heyday, it's no surprise similar type of players of the ilk of Ben Stokes excites Botham.
"I love to see the ball flying out the ground or the stumps flying out the ground. Cricket is an entertainment. That's the way I used to see it as entertainment. And if I was enjoying myself hopefully the crowd were," he said.
"At the end of the day cricket in England is thriving. We had a rebirth and it's exciting times.
"I'm sure Australia will follow."
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