The burly cricketer, also known as Beefy, has ordered hundreds of Indian delicacies from his favourite takeaway in South Yorkshire to see him through the trek.

During an 860-mile journey in which he hopes to raise �1m for the Leukaemia Research Fund, the former England all-rounder plans to follow a spicy diet including 150 of his curry favourites, tandoori chicken.

He has also ordered 400 onion bhajis, 150 prawn tandooris, 200 lamb tikkas and 120 nan breads to mop up the sauce.

"Beefy" in his playing days

The �1500 order has delighted the Indus takeaway in Doncaster which described Botham's choice as "a good healthy diet" which should give him plenty of energy.

Beefy, 43, believes he will need the energy. It is nearly 15 years since he first walked the length of Britain, and he says he is "not getting any younger".

"This is my last big walk for leukaemia and I am going for broke," Botham said. "It is going to be quite a slog."

He sets off from John O'Groats on 11 October and will walk about 30 miles a day over 34 days.

Swollen legs

Botham's in-laws live in South Yorkshire and their home will act as an initial storage point for the food which the cricketer describes as "even better than that on offer in India".

Since he started his charity walks, Botham has raised �3.3m for the Leukaemia Research Fund, walking some 3,380 miles.

For his final walk he will follow the same route as his first in November 1985.

He will walk much of the route by himself but will be joined by friends and celebrities along the way.

One of the problems faces will be shin soreness. The former cricketer says his shins will swell up to the size of his thighs during the walk.

He will spend about an hour at the end of each day with the bottom half of his body packed in ice and sleep with his feet a foot higher than his body.