Boris: I’m the Botham to May’s Boycott

Boris Johnson has suggested he is the swashbuckling Sir Ian Botham to Theresa May’s steadfast cricketing hero Geoffrey Boycott.

The outgoing Prime Minister once praised Boycott for having “stuck to it” and having “got the runs in the end” when asked if she would resign.

Displaying their drastically different personalities, Tory leadership frontrunner Mr Johnson presented himself as being akin to the risky and attacking former England teammate.

Mr Johnson was asked by LBC presenter Iain Dale, who was moderating the Carlisle leadership hustings on Saturday, whether the UK will get the “100% full-on Boris as prime minister” or see him constrained in Downing Street.

The MP seized the opportunity to present his differing strategy for Brexit negotiations by deploying a cricketing analogy.

“I think that there is one way to do this thing now, if I may venture a cricketing metaphor, I think we’ve had quite a lot of Boycott on the wicket and it is time for Botham to come in. That is my view,” Mr Johnson replied.

“Particularly in the EU negotiations, we cannot have the same old, same old. We cannot have a can-kicking approach. We kick the can, we will kick the bucket, we’ve got to get on and do this.”

Sir Ian, a Brexit backer, is known for an infamous move when he tricked Boycott into being run out when England teammates grew tired of his steady pace.