Botham begins tsunami trip

Ian Botham during his glorious England career

Ian Botham has been praised by an old adversary for his latest charity work as he begins his visit to Sri Lanka to raise funds for survivors of the tsunami disaster.

The English cricket legend, one of the game’s best ever all-rounders, plans to travel on Wednesday to the southern town of Galle and to the site of the cricket stadium, which was destroyed by the tsunami on December 26.

“It is great to have a legend such as Ian Botham visiting us to lend support,” said Hashan Tillakaratne, an executive director of Cricket-Aid and a former captain of Sri Lanka.

“We have always found Ian to be a great human being, especially when one considers the many charities he has supported by his own personal efforts.

“The likeness of Botham will definitely bring smiles to the sad faces of Galle and his support to re-build a ground he has been to as a commentator is greatly appreciated. 

“We also appreciate the effort of the Shane Warne foundation for arranging this trip and we could say how fortunate we are to have such great support.”

Botham, 48, is scheduled to visit various other stricken areas in Sri Lanka.

The English great has undertaken numerous long-distance walks to raise money for causes such as leukaemia research and children's hospitals.

He was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1992 for services to cricket and his charity work.