So shouldn't Beefy get bumped for this?

In fairness, these predictions were in within a pretty tight time frame.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/cricket/23224877

10-0 indeed!

"There is simply no department in which I think Australia have got an edge over England."

Can't argue with Beefy's logic at the time. Amazing how quickly things changed from early September 2013 to late November 2013.

He was even wrong (and as usual blinded by his certainties) at the time, not just leaving an army of hostages to fortune.

Haddin was keeping and batting better than Matt, and the Aussie seam bowling was more penetrative. Clarke was the more enterprising and better skipper, and in better form than Cooky. Lyon v Swann arguable in the series in England: although the former more often than not outbowled the latter, the Northants man - amid arid spells - had the more decisive inputs when he did strike.

In short, Beefy should stick to what he knows - not what he thinks he knows. This was known before. (Since he hung up his boots and started opening his mouth, in fact.)

Most people less blinkered than Botham would have thought Australia had at least a chance of winning this series - they had started to settle as a side towards the end of the English summer series, home pitches would suit their bowlers and the England batting line-up wasn't functioning and was pretty much reliant on a superb run of form from Bell.

What few would have predicted is that England wouldn't even be competitive, and would "win" perhaps only one or two days of the entire series.

another year with better weather and some better umpiring and aus could have won 3-2 in england

3-0 was nowhere near enough a fair scoreline. it was a close series

unlike this one