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Cape Town - Legendary England cricketer Ian Botham feels they have a great chance to beat South Africa in their upcoming four-Test series.
Alastair Cook's team fly to South Africa on Thursday ahead of the opening Test, which starts in Durban on December 26.
They will be aiming to improve on the 1-1 draw earned when the teams last met in South Africa in 2009.
Botham, who played 102 Tests for England, is currently in Cape Town ahead of his latest charity walk and spoke to News24Live ahead of the Test series.
After South Africa’s 3-0 Test series defeat in India, Botham feels England will relish the prospect of facing the Proteas.
“I think England are a young emerging side. South Africa have just lost a lot of key players. (Jacques) Kallis, (Graeme) Smith, (Mark) Boucher… (Shaun) Pollock a few years ago and (Allan) Donald.
“And they haven’t really replaced those guys yet. So I think England might come for the first time with a realistic chance of winning the series.”
Botham starts an eight-day walk around South Africa to raise money for four charities - Nazareth House Cape Town, The Chipembere Rhino Foundation, the Waitrose Foundation in South Africa and the Kliptown Youth Programme.
