Ian Botham reveals former Ashes rival and pal Merv Hughes recused him from crocodile-infested waters

Botham revealed on Instagram that he and Hughes were with a group on a boat in Australia when he fell into dangerous waters while fishing. He said in his post: “My catch of the day was the barra while I was nearly catch of the day for all the crocs and bull sharks…thanks boys for getting me out.”

Botham, who played against Hughes during legendary Ashes matches in the late 1980s and 1990s, also joked about his similarities to film character Crocodile Dundee. In a nod to his ‘Beefy’ nickname, he told Melbourne news outlet Herald Sun: “At the end of the day, Crocodile Beefy survived.

“I was out of the water quicker than I went in it. Quite a few sets of eyes were having a peep at me. Luckily I had no time to think about what was in the water. The guys were brilliant, it was just one of those accidents. It was all very quick and I’m OK now.”

The England cricket star suffered bruising to his torso in the incident. Botham is reportedly in Australia to help with commentary duties alongside his former Aussie rival Hughes for upcoming matches between Australia and India.