When Ian Botham mistook coronavirus for a ‘bad case of flu’

Ian Botham, the legendary England all-rounder, has revealed that he was diagnosed with COVID-19 earlier this year when people weren’t aware about the virus. It was from March that the coronavirus started unfolding mayhem across the globe. Over millions have been affected by the same over the last four months and the government of the respective countries are trying their hearts out.

The United Kingdom (UK) has been amongst the most deeply affected in the pandemic situation. As far as Botham is concerned, when he had coronavirus, he mistook it as a “bad case of flu”. But the error in judgement didn’t cost him and he has managed to recover.

People have been responding extremely well: Ian Botham

“I think the thing to remember is that six months ago no one even knew what this was, hadn’t heard of it,” Botham was quoted as saying on Good Morning Britain. “I had it at the end of December, beginning of January, and I thought I had a bad case of flu. It’s amazing how long it has been around,” he stated.

Botham, in the meantime, has requested the people to keep their cool. He believes that things would be under control in the next couple of weeks or so. “I think people have been responding extremely well. I hope they show a bit more patience over the next couple of weeks or so, so we can get to a situation where everybody can move around,” Botham quipped.

Moreover, he stated that cricket wouldn’t suffer due to the virus since maintaining social distancing won’t be a difficult task. “I think cricket will be back very shortly. Cricket can be played. There’s no real physical contact there, you can keep your social distancing quite easily,” he added.

In over a week, cricket in England is set to resume with the three-match Test series against the West Indies. The Caribbean players have already landed on English soil and would be playing the opening Test, starting July 8 at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. Thereafter, Pakistan are scheduled to take part in a Test and T20I series and even they have reached England on Sunday, June 28.