The Cricket Collection of Lord Botham.

Some unique  items there.Raised over£225 grand allegedly

His food bill must be a grand a week!

Ian Botham 'threw racism report on the floor' as England cricket icon vents fury
Story by Jack Otway • 2h ago

 
England icon Lord Ian Botham has revealed he threw the ICEC's recent report into cricket 'on the floor'.

The Independent Commission for Equality in Cricket last month claimed "elitism alongside deeply rooted and widespread forms of structural and institutional racism, sexism and class-based discrimination continue to exist across the game."

In addition to that, the England and Wales Cricket Board apologised to those who have 'suffered discriminaton'.

Yet Botham, a legend of the sport, has now vented his fury and branded the findings as 'nonsense'.




"I read bits of the report and to be honest I just threw it down on the floor in the end because in my eyes, it’s a nonsense," he said on Up Front with Simon Jordan.

"It was a complete and utter waste of money that could have been well spent on other things within the game.

"The report has taken at least two-and-a-half years to write, maybe more, and the point is that they are generalising and you cannot generalise.

"There will be isolated incidents and it can go both ways, it’s not just a one-way street.

"I don’t know where it is but I haven’t played in a dressing room like that, ever.

"To generalise and paint everyone with the same brush is wrong.



"I thought a lot of it was heavily loaded and when you read through it everything is anonymous, who is anonymous? Introduce me to Mr and Mrs Anonymous."

 

He continued: "No one’s interviewed me, no one asked me for my thoughts on it.

"I don’t know whether it’s just that I’m lucky or whether it’s because people know my thoughts on racism and the stances I’ve made, or the time I’ve spent with Nelson Mandela.

"He tapped me on the shoulder and said to me ‘you’re my hero’.

"He said, ‘When I was incarcerated we knew you’d taken a stance against South Africa and apartheid’. I spent a lot of time with him."

While disrgearding the claims, Botham also admitted he worries about lives being destroyed.

"With all the stuff that’s gone on at Yorkshire, I just hope we don’t end up with someone with blood on their hands," he continued.

"Because some of those guys’ lives have almost been totally destroyed through it.

I agree with him.

yes, as do i Loyal