In 1986 Ian Botham admitted to smoking cannabis. The admission, made in a newspaper interview, led to his suspension from cricket for two months. He was not arrested and is celebrated by pro-dope smoking lobbies for his candid admission. Botham's often larger than life public persona, built on the back of his undoubtedly brilliant sporting career has meant that his private life often made the news. More seriously for Botham other cricketing professionals have made unpleasant allegations against him. For example, Imran Khan accused him both of racism and of ball tampering. His record breaking career in top flight cricket ended on retirement in 1993. he has since worked as a successful sports commentator and an indefatigable charity fundraiser. His sponsored activities have included stunts such as trekking over the Alps with an elephant and many high profile long distance walks. He has raised over £5 million for charity and went on to become the first ever president of Leukaemia Research.
