Fans cheer Botham at start of 100-mile Sri Lanka charity trek

Cricket legend Ian Botham was cheered on by hundreds of Sri Lankans on Friday as he began a 100-mile trek in the island.

According to Sport24, Botham has completed 14 previous charity treks in his homeland but this is his first such adventure outside Britain and is intended to raise money for disadvantaged children, both in Sri Lanka and elsewhere.

Kushil Gunasekera, one of the organisers, said around 2,000 fans had cheered Botham off from the starting line in Kilinochchi where he took part in the toss at the beginning of a cricket match, according to the report.

The 57-year-old Botham is planning to walk 20 kilometres every day, making a total of 160 kilometres (100 miles), before he reaches the coastal village of Seenigama on November 8, the report said.

On some days, he will be driven between towns and he acknowledged in a press conference on Thursday that he had revised plans for a longer journey due in part to the sweltering conditions, the report added.

Botham said that it is considerably shorter than most walks but they had to factor something else, as there would be a lot of re-hydrating to be done in the evenings because of the heat and humidity.

Botham, who has raised more than 20 million dollars for charity with his walks since 1985, has been a frequent visitor to Sri Lanka as a player, television commentator and goodwill ambassador, the report further said.