England legend Ian Botham rescued from fall in crocodile, shark-infested river by former Aussie rival Merv Hughes

Botham’s long-time on-field rival Hughes reacted successful a drawback to assistance him flight from the waters. Botham sustained a dense bruising to the broadside of his torso.

“I was retired of the h2o quicker than I went successful it. Quite a fewer sets of eyes were having a peep astatine me,” Botham said.

“Luckily I had nary clip to deliberation astir what was successful the water.”

Reports person besides claimed that bull sharks were swimming successful the waters successful the proximity of Botham and Hughes’ boat.

Botham escaped from the waters with a bruising connected his torso. (Instagram)

“The guys were brilliant, it was conscionable 1 of those accidents,” Botham said. “It was each precise speedy and I’m OK now.”

Botham and Hughes were successful the spotlight for their on-field clashes during the Ashes successful the 1980s. Botham had clubbed Hughes for 22 runs successful an over, a then-record successful the contest.

“It got disfigured erstwhile Botham made 22 runs from a azygous over, scoring 2, 2, 4, 6, 4 and 4 disconnected me. I americium embarrassed to accidental it was a grounds for the most runs disconnected an implicit successful an Ashes Test. I would cheque the grounds books, desperately hoping immoderate mediocre psyche had been worse, and portion I recovered determination was erstwhile 24 scored disconnected an over, it was from an eight-ball over,” Hughes would aboriginal archer successful the publication ‘The Match of My Life: The Ashes’.

Hughes, 62, played 53 Tests for Australia, snapping up 212 wickets crossed a nine-year career. Despite their respective on-field clashes, Botham and Hughes person been buddies since their retirements.

The duo are slated to commentate unneurotic during Australia’s forthcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy, starting with the archetypal Test against India successful Perth connected November 22.