Former England all-rounder Ian Botham is having a tough time on account of his grandson James, who is an international rugby player and represents Wales as a flanker. To date, he has 24 matches under his belt. The problem is that Botham made England proud as a cricketer. He served the team with distinction and is considered the greatest all-rounder in English cricket’s long history. So a lot of fans can’t relate to the fact that England’s greatest all-rounder’s grandson plays for Wales, a country part of the United Kingdom but a separate entity nonetheless.
28-year-old James was born in Cardiff, a city in Wales. His father, Botham’s son, Liam, also played rugby at the professional level in Wales, but he never played any games for the English national team, although he made the England squad once as a winger in 2000. With this background, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that James plays for Wales. Plus, the fact that growing up, he was a big fan of Welsh superstar Leigh Halfpenny, and that also influenced him to represent the country. But to this day, Botham is often asked why his grandson plays for Wales and not England. A question that leaves the former all-rounder totally perplexed. Often, he lets it go, but then at other times, he replies.
“I tell you why he’s playing for Wales, because he is Welsh,” Botham told BBC Wales what his standard response is.
Talking about an encounter at a rugby game recently, Botham added: “I looked at this guy and said, ‘Well, first and foremost, he was born in Cardiff. That’s not a bad start’.
“I said he came down, he went through the academy… he only ever wanted to play for Wales.”
“I wish people… would understand that a bit more. I just don’t get it.”
It can be a befuddling experience for Botham, but as far as fans are concerned, it can be a matter of great chuckle. Drifting away to other topics, 70-year-old Botham, who was known for his legendary late-night parties, dismissed the way players warm up these days in the lead-up to a game. “I watch them, they go running around for about an hour, and I’m thinking that’s an hour of running around and you’ve got to kick off in 10 minutes’ time. Why?” he expressed his surprise.
