Paul Lewis: Knights' friendship a shining example for stars of today

Ian Botham and Viv Richards were fierce rivals on the pitch. Photo / Getty Images

In this era of professional sport, when money and ego often reign supreme and some of the world's leading sportspeople seem to have graduated from the University of Stupid, it is welcome that one of sport's greatest friendships - and rivalries - will soon be reprised in New Zealand.

Sir Ian Botham and Sir Vivian Richards will line up in the BMW New Zealand Open in Queenstown. They'll compete in the inaugural ANZ Celebrity Challenge, a contest-within-a-contest where they and Brian Lara, Graeme Swann, Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, Stephen Fleming, Nathan Astle and Mark Richardson will each play alongside a professional golfer for all four days for the Challenge Cup.

Botham and Richards are well known as two of the best cricketers ever but the depth of their friendship - and the way it transcends nationalism, colour, rivalry and the need to win - is less understood and certainly less common these days.

Their appearance at the NZ Open will be one of the highlights of a tournament growing in stature with its pro-am structure. It will also help wash away some of the recent, unthinking blether of England cricketers Stuart Broad and Kevin Pietersen and disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong.

Broad, the fast bowler with a posh school background who made his first million at 23, apologised for tweeting: "I've heard if you earn minimum wage in England you're in the top 10% earners in the world. #stay #humble" - intimating the poor are not so badly off in the UK after all. Delivered at a time when Oxfam reports say 1 per cent of the world's population will control 50 per cent of global wealth by 2016, this is about as smart as sticking your hand in a whirring blender.

At least Broad apologised. Pietersen, the South African-born batsman of enormous talent (mouth and ego to match), will be missed by England at the Cricket World Cup after they dropped him, seemingly after a long history of being a jerk as much as anything else. "All the muppets who are on 18 grand, 15 grand, either you become better or you go and do something else," he said. "The best players would play against each other, week in, week out. That's how you become better."

Pietersen was talking about England's failure to form a franchise-based T20 competition and how it helps homegrown players improve. Trouble is, the "muppets" are young county professionals earning stuff-all as they try to enter the big time - just as Pietersen did when he ditched his native South Africa and was given a chance, yes, as a struggling young county professional. Come in, Kermit Pietersen ...

Armstrong, in a recent BBC interview, said he'd dope again if it was 1995 when it was common in cycling, adding, "I think we're all sorry. And do you know what we're sorry for? We're sorry that we were put in that place. None of us wanted to be in that place. We all would have loved to have competed man-on-man, bread, water, naturally clean, whatever you want to call it." Lance, Lance, Lance ... no one made you do it, pal. Blaming the system just puts scape together with goat.

Give me Botham and Richards any day. There may have been a longer-lasting, deeper friendship across the picket fences of international sport but I don't know of it. When Richards turned 60, Botham said: "He is the best friend I could have wished for. Since we both finished playing, he's been at my side for all the important times in life and vice-versa. He's not really my best friend, he is more like a brother. We are part of each other's family. He is a huge part of my life.

"He was the finest batsman I've ever seen live. Viv was supreme with a bat in his hand and I don't know a bowler in the world who treasured another wicket more than his."

Anyone who saw Richards in the 1980 test, when he was helmet-less and sconed by Australian fast bowler Rodney Hogg, knows what he means. Richards dusted himself off and, next ball, hit Hogg for one of the biggest sixes ever seen in Adelaide. Even Hogg applauded. Richards then savaged the bowler for 10 runs an over. A traumatised Hogg dropped out of test cricket for a year.

Not long after his 60th birthday, Richards teared up when talking about Botham. "I was this new kid from the Caribbean. England was a rude awakening for me. I played in a trial match for Somerset and Ian walked in - the warmth of the man. He made me feel so at home. I hardly knew anybody but he made me think, 'wow, some of these blokes are OK'. He showed me what a pint of bitter was all about and we just went on from there.

"I've always said that, now we are getting older, if he goes before me, I will drop everything to be at his family's side to support them and do all I could for them and I know he would do the same for me. It's in here [tapping his heart]."

That's the real stuff of sport. The rivalry as keen as ever - watch these two go at it in the NZ Open - but surrounded by respect and warmth. Much better than gobbing off at those less fortunate than yourself or excusing cheating by blaming everyone else.