England cricket legend Sir Ian Botham was rescued by a former Australian rival after he fell off a boat into water “infested” with sharks and crocodiles.

The retired all-rounder was on a fishing trip with former Australian fast-bowler Merv Hughes when he got his flip-flops caught in some roping and plunged head-first into the Moyle River near Darwin, northern Australia.

Sir Ian, nicknamed Beefy, suffered severe bruising to his torso after hitting the boat on his way down – but escaped a worse fate when Hughes and fellow fishermen quickly pulled him out.

The 68-year-old wrote on Instagram on Friday: “My catch of the day was the barra [fish] while I was nearly catch of the day for all the crocs and bull sharks…

“Thanks boys for getting me out.”

The river is known for being infested with crocodiles, according to local media, while a family of bull sharks was also seen lurking underneath the boat as Sir Ian fell in.

Referencing the film Crocodile Dundee, he told Australia’s Herald Sun newspaper: “At the end of the day Crocodile Beefy survived.

“I was out of the water quicker than I went in it. Quite a few sets of eyes were having a peep at me. Luckily I had no time to think about what was in the water.”

The cricket commentator added: “The guys were brilliant, it was just one of those accidents. It was all very quick and I’m okay now.”

Sir Ian, who was awarded a knighthood in 2020, was an on-pitch rival of Hughes during clashes between England and Australia in the 1980s, but the pair have become good friends in their retirement from the sport.

The duo were reportedly on a four-day boat trip to catch barramundi fish when the incident happened last week.

Sir Ian is said to have got caught in the roping while he and his companions were crossing from a small boat into another vessel.

He is reported to be in Australia to commentate alongside Hughes on a series of upcoming matches, including the first Test between Australia and India.

He is considered one of England’s greatest cricketers, having notched up 5,200 test runs and 383 wickets during his career.