SIR Ian Botham believes Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove is more deserving of a knighthood than Sir Geoffrey Boycott.

The England legend has criticised Theresa May’s decision to award Boycott a knighthood in her resignation honours list last month, insisting that Bransgrove would have been a far worthier recipient.

When asked for his views on the decision to award fellow pundit Boycott a knighthood for services to cricket, Botham, who was awarded his by the Queen in 2007, said: “For what? Doing his job. I got my mine for charity work.

“Does being Theresa May’s idol justify it?”

Speaking at his Ageas Bowl restaurant, the eponymous ‘Beefy’s’, while looking over the Test arena, Botham continued: “Here, Rod Bransgrove has invested millions of pounds of his own money into the ground and would be a very worthy person to be awarded a knighthood.”

Botham raised more than £10m for leukaemia charities, while Bransgrove has invested more than £10m of his own money in ensuring the completion of the magnificent Ageas Bowl.

Boycott continues to work for the BBC, but Botham and presenter David Gower’s time with Sky Sports ended with the conclusion of this year’s Ashes series.

“I retired - my time was up,” he explained. “I told [Sky Sports CEO] Barney Francis it was time for me to go.”

Sir Ian Botham was speaking at the launch of Beefy’s new wines and autumn menu.