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Botham: The Legend of '81

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Botham: The Legend of 81

Stephen Lyle

Carl Doran

Documentaries

Sport: Cricket

20/07/2011

BBC Two - Botham: The Legend of '81

Remembering a classic cricket story from 30 years ago.

The story of cricketer Ian Botham's stunning comeback performance against Australia in the summer of 1981 during the Ashes, and his tireless work to help children with leukaemia.

It is the most remarkable comeback story in English sporting history, and it all began 30 years ago this summer.

It's the story of a team, so abject they had been written off completely, led by a man so distrusted and ridiculed that he was forced to resign his post for the sake of his family. 

Days later that man, Ian Botham, produced a 'boys own' performance to inspire that team, England, to beat Australia against 500-1 odds. It was just the start of Botham's Ashes.

Botham: The Legend of 81 tells the simply incredible story of how Ian Botham went from national zero to hero, not once but twice.

As well as the story of that almost unbelievable summer of 81, we hear how the success that followed changed Botham's life, making him, but breaking him at the same time. 

Having been reduced to zero once more we see how the anti-establishment Botham unwittingly became a national hero once again, this time through his tireless work to help children suffering with leukaemia.

Featuring contributions from his family, colleagues and eyewitnesses such as Sir Mick Jagger, Sir Viv Richards, Bob Willis, David Gower, Sir Elton John, Stephen Fry and Sir John Major, Botham: The Legend of 81 charts one of English Sports most colourful and controversial careers and tells surely its most enduring comeback story.

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