England cricket legend Sir Ian Botham appears to confirm he is set to become a House of Lords peer while speaking outside his £2million mansion
- The England cricket star grinned when asked about whether he will be ennobled
- The 64-year-old is a sporting hero of Boris Johnson and backed him in the EU referendum
- It is claimed he is among 30 Brexit supporters who will be given peerages
Sir Ian Botham seemed to confirm that he is set to become a peer in the House of Lords.
The England cricket star and commentator grinned when he was approached by The Mail on Sunday at his £2 million mansion yesterday and asked whether he is to be ennobled.
‘I’m not allowed to speak about this – when it’s all officially announced I will be more than happy to do so,’ he said, adding: ‘Just come and bang on the door and if I’m in I’ll talk to you.’
The 64-year-old is a sporting hero of Boris Johnson and backed the PM during the EU referendum campaign, speaking at several pro-Leave events.
Sir Ian Botham (pictured in 2015) grinned when he was approached by The Mail on Sunday at his £2 million mansion yesterday and asked whether he is to be ennobled
He is said to be among 30 Brexit supporters who will be rewarded for their loyalty with a peerage by Mr Johnson on Friday.
During a glittering 15-year England career, Sir Ian – known as Beefy –scored more than 7,400 runs and took 528 wickets in Tests and One Day International matches.
Also celebrated for his extensive charity work, he was knighted in 2007 and inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame two years later.
However, he has also courted controversy, losing a libel case against Pakistani all-rounder Imran Khan and causing a storm in 1986 when he admitted to smoking cannabis regularly.
Sir Ian is expected to sit as an independent, according to The Times.
The 64-year-old is a sporting hero of Boris Johnson and backed the PM during the EU referendum campaign, speaking at several pro-Leave events