Why I’ve got a beef with Beefy Botham

SPORTSMAIL’S bid to identify England’s greatest cricket XI triggered hot debate – but my heart sank at experts’ repeated inclusion of Ian Botham. Botham may have been a demon at the crease, but I met him once and he hit me for six with a rude rant about the Press daring to reveal his dope smoking.

I’d have the late Denis Compton in my dream XI, if only because he once turned up for a Test without his kit, possibly after a night on the gargle.

Compton, pictured above, strolled in to old Trafford’s museum, selected a vintage bat and set about the South African side.

I’d rather have five minutes with urbane Compton than an hour with boorish Beefy, whose very nickname reeks of oafishness.