COLOURFUL, provocative, forthright, Geoffrey Boycott polarises opinion everywhere he goes… and the fans are lining up to hear him, says KEN PIESSE:
GIVEN THE choice between a night with Sophia Loren and a Test century, Geoff Boycott said he’d take the hundred, every time.
Unimpressed by the virtues of a certain international bowler, he said his grandmother could play ‘im with a stick of celery.
And when a catch went down in the field, he said “Me mum would have caught thaart in her pinny.”
In Australia for Test Match Special, the most legendary of all cricket broadcasts, Boycott still dines out on his own net worth and why not given his CV of 48,000 runs and 151 hundreds, including his 100th 100 against Greg Chappell’s Australians at Headingley in 1977.
For 25 years as a player he was among the crème de le crème. Now as a shrewd and trenchant commentator he enjoys a similarly exalted status.
He has survived a cancer battle and into his mid-70s is still very much in demand as a broadcaster with the TMS radio lads led by Aggers and Co.
And with one-liners like these, it’s little wonder…
“If Trescothick had tried to get me off the field when I was batting well, I would have hit him with my bat.”
“I think England will win a Test. My concern is that Australia will probably win two.”
“If England lose now they will be leaving the field with their heads between their legs.”
“It would be unprintable on television.”
“They should cut Joel Garner off at the knees to make him bowl at a normal height.”
“If I could have added David Gower’s shots to my brain, I would have been an incredible player. “
“He’s bowling powder puffs.”
Sportshounds readers and their friends can hear Boycott in action as guest of honour at the Australian Cricket Society’s annual Christmas Test Match dinner on Wednesday, December 27, from 7 pm at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club. Tickets are $120 each, with pre-payment essential, by December 22.
Contact Wayne Ross, Australian Cricket Society
Office: 03 9789 9754. Mobile: 0416 983 888
PO Box 4528, Langwarrin, VIC, 3910
W: australiancricketsociety.com.au
KEN PIESSE has covered cricket and football for more than 30 years in Melbourne. Despite that setback, Ken has written, published and edited 86 books on cricket and AFL football to become Australian sport’s most prolific author.
His latest cricket book is David Warner, The Bull, Daring to be Different with Wilkinson Publishing, out now
www.cricketbooks.com.au
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