The tag of being “the new Botham” was one that several all-rounders had carried into their Test careers, but none came close to matching the original until Andrew Flintoff arrived on the scene.

The Lancashire lad was the nearest there had been since Botham played his last Test in 1992. Now that Flintoff has retired from Test cricket, a tag of being “the new Flintoff” will be attached to some poor soul, with Stuart Broad the most likely to attract the label.

Botham and Flintoff had much in common. They batted and bowled right-handed, they both hit the ball a long way and each had a personality that meant they were worth far more to the side than the wickets and runs they contributed. Both were conspicuous failures in their brief attempts at captaining England against Australia. And both, of course, had formidable thirsts.

So did Flintoff ultimately justify his tag of being “the new Botham”? In Test cricket, his batting and bowling averages were slightly - but significantly - inferior to those of Botham. Flintoff’s batting average (31.69) is two runs lower than Botham’s (33.54), and there is a greater discrepancy in their bowling averages, with Flintoff taking his 219 Test wickets at 32.51 compared with Botham's 383 at 28.40.

The biggest difference of all is in their number of five-wicket hauls: Botham took 27 to Flintoff’s two.

There was one area in which Flintoff managed statistically to exceed Botham in Test cricket: he hit more sixes. His tally of 81 sixes places him sixth on the all-time list, some way below the record-holder, Adam Gilchrist, who hit 100.

Flintoff does, however, have better statistics in one-day cricket for England. His batting average (32.01) is higher than Botham’s (23.21) and his one-day bowling average is outstanding, having taken 169 wickets at 24.38 compared with Botham’s 145 wickets at 28.54.

As Flintoff is still hoping to play for England in the shorter forms of the game, perhaps this signifies that we still have much to look forward to before his body tells him to give up the game altogether.

TEST MATCH BATTING (Matches - Runs - Average - 100s - HS - Sixes)

Flintoff: 76 - 3,708 - 31.69 - 5 - 167 - 81

Botham: 102 - 5,200 - 33.54 - 14 - 208 - 67

TEST MATCH BOWLING (Wickets - Average - 5W - BB)

Flintoff: 219 - 32.51 - 2 - 5-58

Botham: 383 - 28.40 - 27 - 8-34

ONE-DAY BATTING (Matches - Runs - Average - 100s - HS - Sixes)

Flintoff: 141 - 3,394 - 32.01 - 3 - 123 - 93

Botham: 116 - 2,113 - 23.21 - 0 - 79 - 44

ONE-DAY BOWLING (Wickets - Average - 5W - BB)

Flintoff: 169 - 24.38 - 2 - 5-19

Botham: 145 - 28.54 - 0 - 4-31