Harsh Thakor
First Class Star
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2012
- Runs
- 3,520
- Post of the Week
- 2
Today on October 21st we celebrate the 75th birthday of the legendary Sir Geoffrey Boycott who was born in 1940 on this day.In this column I am paying a tribute to this cricketing icon.Without doubt he played a phenomenal role in shaping the destiny of English cricket in his time.He carved out a permanent niche amongst the great English cricketers in the class of a Cowdrey,May,Dexter or Barrington.Whether he joined the club of all-time great points is a moot point.Arguably what could have made Boycott 'great' was his ability to fight it out against all odds.Few batsmen ever posessed as deep concentration as Boycott or as strong a will to stick it out.Boycott was the equivalent of an architect to batting.
Boycott’s batting was a lesson in the coaching book for a schoolboy.It is difficult to imagine a batsman having a more compact defence.Technically he was almost perfect in the league of Len Hutton,Hanif Mohammad or Sunil Gavaskar.The movement of his feet and the drop of his bat looked like a well programmed machine with phenomenal powers of Concentration.Like Sunil Gavaskar he also had tremendous determination.Boycott plays beautifully Straight with an ‘initial “back and across movement,which helps him decide whether he has to play forward or back.Boycott’ principally plays sideways on.Witnessing Boycott bat was like watching a video tape of correct batting in a coaching Clinic.In the modern era no batsman has been more difficult to dismiss-like breaking an impregnable enemy barricade.He was the ultimate batsman to bat for your life.
A son of a coal miner from whom Boycott inherited his temperamental and physical prowess he developed relatively late.Boycott was trained by his Uncle Alkbert and the former Somerset Leg Spinner,Johnny Lawrence.Boycott made his debut in proper First Class Cricket at the age of 22 years.On a rain affected wicket Boycott scored a superb 90 out of 144.This was the first time he displayed his amazing guts.
A year later Boycott made his test debut against Australia scoring 48.In that series he scored his first test hundred against Australia.After that Boycott was almost a natural selection.However despite his sound technique he often disappointed colleagues by selfish batting.In 1967,he scored 246 at Leeds and was dropped from the side for Selfish batting.The Selectors felt that he had consumed too much time which went against the team’s interests.In 1967-68 tour of West Indies Boycott displayed the solidity of a rock against Hall and Griffiths.Boycott’s 80 not out enabled England to gain a historic 7 wicket win in Trinidad after West Indies under Sobers had declared.At Barbados,Boycott scored a hundred.It was a display of high technical skill.
In 1971 in a first class season Boycott averaged 100.12 in an English season ,becoming the only English batsman to average over a hundred in a season.
In 1973-74 Boycott’s dour batting display was mainly responsible for England squaring a 3 match series in which they were outplayed for the major part.Boycott scored 99 and 112 on a wicket with wearing bounce.He magnificiently displayed his technique ,batting like a surgeon performing an operation.On that tour Boycott also scored 261 not out for M.C.C against the West Indian Board 11 at Bridgetown.
In 1974 Boycott went into a self-imposed exile from the game.Experts feel thatbhe shirked facing the menace of Lillee and Thomson.
; In 1977 in the Ashes Boycott made a historic return.He scored 2 Centuries averaging over 100 runs ,including scoring a Century in his 100th first-class hundred at his home ground at Leeds.It was one of English Cricket’s most emotional moments.Boycott was the scourge of the bowling and the Aussie bowlers could hardly pass the blade of boycott’s bat held as straight as an arrow.
In 1978-79 Boycott yhad a poor series in Australia in the Ashes but returned playing 2 successful home series against India where he scored 2 Centuries averaging over 75.At Ebgbaston he scored 155 while at the Oval scored 125.In the 1979 First class season Boycott repeated his 1971 performance averaging 102.53.
On the 1979-80 winter tour Boycott showed his ability to play Australian paceman like Lillee and Thomson.Boycott scored a fine 99 not out on a quick pitch at Perth.His footwork and ability to handle the bouncing ball was remarkable.Boycott averaged over 80 in one day games which was remarkable.Boycott made big scores against Australia .He also performed remarkably well in the one day games topping the English batting averages in the triangular tournament.
In 1980 Boycott heroically combated the West Indian pace attack averaging 48 runs showing great solidity in dealing with the pace attack and often played the role of an anchor of a ship..Boycott was like a big boulder blocking racing cars.He repeated this performance in the West Indies where he made a Century in the 3rd test at Antigua.It was a marvel to watch his perfect footwork and dedication to resist the greatest bowlers on fast wickets..In the slips Viv Richard remarked,”You have to give it to the man,he never gives it away.”Boycott would drop his wrists in classic style against the fastest of deliveries,rising up from a length enabling the ball to drop just short of slips.From a technical point of view bat Sunil Gavaskar no batsman could wear down the West Indian pace battery as much as Sir Geoffrey Boycott.
In the 1981 Ashes apart from a Century at the Oval in the final test Boycott had a disappointing series averaging 32.Alderman’s swinging deliveries seemed to get the better of him as well as Lawson’s pace at times.However in 1981-82 against India Boycott scored a Century at Delhi andmade history becoming Test Cricket’s greatest Run scorer,eclipsing Gary Sober’s record of 8,032 runs.Ironically in the 4next test he was sent back home as he went to play golg during playing hours.To authorities it was a violation of discipline.
In 1982 Boycott went on a rebel tour of South Africa and was banned for 3 years.The Career of this icon came to an end.
Boycott averaged 47.72 in tests,scoring 22 test hundreds and scoring 8114 runs.In First class Cricket he scored 48,426 runs at an average of 56.83 scoring 156 Centuries.Boycott exceeded 1000 runs in an English season 23 times and 2,000 runs 3 times.
Could Boycott be categorized with the all-time greats?If we ***** first class cricket then Boycott would statistically rate even ahaed of Viv or Barry Richards or even Gavaskar.In general the Cricket world has placed him there and statistically atleast in the firstclass game he deserves to be on that pedestal.Geoff took only 645 innings to reach the statistical landmark of 100 centuries,only behind Bradman,Hutton and Compton in terms of fewer matches.Thus he was quicker than Viv Richards,Jack Hobbs and Walter Hammond.Geoff averaged over 100 twice in an English first class season,which no batsman has ever done.His first -class batting average of 56.94 is better than that of Len Hutton,Jack Hobbs,Viv Richards or Wally Hammond.His aggregate of 48,426 run sis only behind that of Hobbs,Woolley and Hammond.His 151 first class centuries is only superseded by Hobbs,Patsy Hendren and Hammond.
In todays day and age Boycott would have flourished with the wickets being much flatter and protective headgear prevalent today.However he may not have won games like Ponting or Lara,being so defensive.I rate Boycott about neck to neck with Graham Gooch or Ken Barrington and at his best arguably just behind Viv Richards,Gavaskar and Greg Chappell.Gary Sobers does not class him as 'great' nor does Ian Chappell but experts like Cristopher Martin Jenkins club him with the greats or even John Woodcock or Geoffrey Armstrong.Amongst cricketers Sunil Gavaskar rates Boycott the best opening batsman he ever saw while Richard Hadlee rates him technically the best batsman he ever bowled to.Derek Under wood rates him as the best player of spin he ever saw.With his great technical solidity Boycott could often champion a cause on bad wickets.
However often experts and fans have criticized his selfish batting costing his team wins .Often Boycott,played selfishly,often running out partners.He rarely forced the pace and often left the loose ball unpunished,unlike Sunil Gavaskar.Often Geoff did not win games like Hobbs or Viv and Barry Richards or even Zaheer Abbas for that mater.Neverthless Boycott has also played a role in some major test match wins in West Indies like at Port of Spain in 1967-68 and 1974.Mike Brearley stated "although Geoff would occupy the crease for long and curb strokeplay his 100 out of a score of 220 would often win games when conditions were against him or the batting side.Without Boycott's presence a team would score 120 instead of 220."In a subdtle way Geoff had many fans even if he batted defesnively.
Geof had a technical weakness against left arm inswing which was exposed by Gary Sobers and to the bouncer but Michael Holding rated him the most difficult batsman to dislodge,while Richard Hadlee thought Boycott was technically ,the best of all.
After retiring he has been a succesful commentator but often outspoken and controversial.I have loved Boycott as a critique of the game.In my view when was one of the best critiques of our age.He gives Jack Hobbs and Sachin Tendulkar their due place and correctly as an all-round batsman places Hobbs even above Bradman.He also ***** the best paceman with great insight and accuracy.Never forget how much Geoff supported Waqar and Wasim in 1992-93 when the English authorities took them to court.He rates Sachin Tendulkar,Gary Sobers ,Viv Richards and Brian Lara as the greatest batsman he has seen and is all praise for Lillee,Akram and Malcolm Marshall.He rates Malcolm Marshal and Dennis Lille as the best pace bowlers with Sydney Barnes and in his world xi includes them.I praise Boycott's all-time world xi.which shows selective discretion.I also applaud his selection of 11 best bowlers which superbly ***** the strong points of different bowling greats be it Larwood,Lillee,Hadlee,Marshall,Barnes,Garner or Holding.I reccomend all viewers to see his assesment on youtube.I also want readers to read his letter to Sachin Tendulkar when praising Jack Hobbs.
Quoting John Thickness in cricinfo:
If ever a defence appeared to be impenetrable it was that of Yorkshireman Geoff Boycott when his mind was set on staying in. The features of his forward stroke were the distance he thrust forward behind a big left pad, how low his head was as he searched for signs of movement from the ball, and its balance and compactness. Add a sharp-edged thigh-pad protecting the top of his leg and there wasn't a chink of daylight to be seen. If he hadn't made himself unavailable for 30 Tests in his prime - because, it was thought he felt that he, rather than Mike Denness, should have succeeded Ray Illingworth as captain - he would surely have become the first Englishman to make 10,000 Test runs. He returned triumphantly in 1977, scoring a century in his comeback Test and another - his 100th in first-class cricket - in front of his adoring home crowd at Headingley. As opener he saw his first task as scoring heavily enough to protect his teams against defeat, and in Test cricket and the County Championship - the matches that counted in the first-class averages - he was as sparing with the attacking strokes as, in retirement, he is strident in his opinions on the game. How valuable he was to England is shown by the fact that only 20 of his 108 Tests ended in defeat, mainly when he failed. His most productive strokes, off the back foot through the covers (his speciality) and the on-drive, were majestic in their power and placement. But he was not the man to press home an advantage. A loner, and an insatiable net-player, he was short of friends inside the game; indeed there were many who heartily disliked him because of his self-centredness. But he had charm, and responded warmly to those who offered friendship. After his retirement he became a trenchant commentator.
Boycott’s batting was a lesson in the coaching book for a schoolboy.It is difficult to imagine a batsman having a more compact defence.Technically he was almost perfect in the league of Len Hutton,Hanif Mohammad or Sunil Gavaskar.The movement of his feet and the drop of his bat looked like a well programmed machine with phenomenal powers of Concentration.Like Sunil Gavaskar he also had tremendous determination.Boycott plays beautifully Straight with an ‘initial “back and across movement,which helps him decide whether he has to play forward or back.Boycott’ principally plays sideways on.Witnessing Boycott bat was like watching a video tape of correct batting in a coaching Clinic.In the modern era no batsman has been more difficult to dismiss-like breaking an impregnable enemy barricade.He was the ultimate batsman to bat for your life.
A son of a coal miner from whom Boycott inherited his temperamental and physical prowess he developed relatively late.Boycott was trained by his Uncle Alkbert and the former Somerset Leg Spinner,Johnny Lawrence.Boycott made his debut in proper First Class Cricket at the age of 22 years.On a rain affected wicket Boycott scored a superb 90 out of 144.This was the first time he displayed his amazing guts.
A year later Boycott made his test debut against Australia scoring 48.In that series he scored his first test hundred against Australia.After that Boycott was almost a natural selection.However despite his sound technique he often disappointed colleagues by selfish batting.In 1967,he scored 246 at Leeds and was dropped from the side for Selfish batting.The Selectors felt that he had consumed too much time which went against the team’s interests.In 1967-68 tour of West Indies Boycott displayed the solidity of a rock against Hall and Griffiths.Boycott’s 80 not out enabled England to gain a historic 7 wicket win in Trinidad after West Indies under Sobers had declared.At Barbados,Boycott scored a hundred.It was a display of high technical skill.
In 1971 in a first class season Boycott averaged 100.12 in an English season ,becoming the only English batsman to average over a hundred in a season.
In 1973-74 Boycott’s dour batting display was mainly responsible for England squaring a 3 match series in which they were outplayed for the major part.Boycott scored 99 and 112 on a wicket with wearing bounce.He magnificiently displayed his technique ,batting like a surgeon performing an operation.On that tour Boycott also scored 261 not out for M.C.C against the West Indian Board 11 at Bridgetown.
In 1974 Boycott went into a self-imposed exile from the game.Experts feel thatbhe shirked facing the menace of Lillee and Thomson.
; In 1977 in the Ashes Boycott made a historic return.He scored 2 Centuries averaging over 100 runs ,including scoring a Century in his 100th first-class hundred at his home ground at Leeds.It was one of English Cricket’s most emotional moments.Boycott was the scourge of the bowling and the Aussie bowlers could hardly pass the blade of boycott’s bat held as straight as an arrow.
In 1978-79 Boycott yhad a poor series in Australia in the Ashes but returned playing 2 successful home series against India where he scored 2 Centuries averaging over 75.At Ebgbaston he scored 155 while at the Oval scored 125.In the 1979 First class season Boycott repeated his 1971 performance averaging 102.53.
On the 1979-80 winter tour Boycott showed his ability to play Australian paceman like Lillee and Thomson.Boycott scored a fine 99 not out on a quick pitch at Perth.His footwork and ability to handle the bouncing ball was remarkable.Boycott averaged over 80 in one day games which was remarkable.Boycott made big scores against Australia .He also performed remarkably well in the one day games topping the English batting averages in the triangular tournament.
In 1980 Boycott heroically combated the West Indian pace attack averaging 48 runs showing great solidity in dealing with the pace attack and often played the role of an anchor of a ship..Boycott was like a big boulder blocking racing cars.He repeated this performance in the West Indies where he made a Century in the 3rd test at Antigua.It was a marvel to watch his perfect footwork and dedication to resist the greatest bowlers on fast wickets..In the slips Viv Richard remarked,”You have to give it to the man,he never gives it away.”Boycott would drop his wrists in classic style against the fastest of deliveries,rising up from a length enabling the ball to drop just short of slips.From a technical point of view bat Sunil Gavaskar no batsman could wear down the West Indian pace battery as much as Sir Geoffrey Boycott.
In the 1981 Ashes apart from a Century at the Oval in the final test Boycott had a disappointing series averaging 32.Alderman’s swinging deliveries seemed to get the better of him as well as Lawson’s pace at times.However in 1981-82 against India Boycott scored a Century at Delhi andmade history becoming Test Cricket’s greatest Run scorer,eclipsing Gary Sober’s record of 8,032 runs.Ironically in the 4next test he was sent back home as he went to play golg during playing hours.To authorities it was a violation of discipline.
In 1982 Boycott went on a rebel tour of South Africa and was banned for 3 years.The Career of this icon came to an end.
Boycott averaged 47.72 in tests,scoring 22 test hundreds and scoring 8114 runs.In First class Cricket he scored 48,426 runs at an average of 56.83 scoring 156 Centuries.Boycott exceeded 1000 runs in an English season 23 times and 2,000 runs 3 times.
Could Boycott be categorized with the all-time greats?If we ***** first class cricket then Boycott would statistically rate even ahaed of Viv or Barry Richards or even Gavaskar.In general the Cricket world has placed him there and statistically atleast in the firstclass game he deserves to be on that pedestal.Geoff took only 645 innings to reach the statistical landmark of 100 centuries,only behind Bradman,Hutton and Compton in terms of fewer matches.Thus he was quicker than Viv Richards,Jack Hobbs and Walter Hammond.Geoff averaged over 100 twice in an English first class season,which no batsman has ever done.His first -class batting average of 56.94 is better than that of Len Hutton,Jack Hobbs,Viv Richards or Wally Hammond.His aggregate of 48,426 run sis only behind that of Hobbs,Woolley and Hammond.His 151 first class centuries is only superseded by Hobbs,Patsy Hendren and Hammond.
In todays day and age Boycott would have flourished with the wickets being much flatter and protective headgear prevalent today.However he may not have won games like Ponting or Lara,being so defensive.I rate Boycott about neck to neck with Graham Gooch or Ken Barrington and at his best arguably just behind Viv Richards,Gavaskar and Greg Chappell.Gary Sobers does not class him as 'great' nor does Ian Chappell but experts like Cristopher Martin Jenkins club him with the greats or even John Woodcock or Geoffrey Armstrong.Amongst cricketers Sunil Gavaskar rates Boycott the best opening batsman he ever saw while Richard Hadlee rates him technically the best batsman he ever bowled to.Derek Under wood rates him as the best player of spin he ever saw.With his great technical solidity Boycott could often champion a cause on bad wickets.
However often experts and fans have criticized his selfish batting costing his team wins .Often Boycott,played selfishly,often running out partners.He rarely forced the pace and often left the loose ball unpunished,unlike Sunil Gavaskar.Often Geoff did not win games like Hobbs or Viv and Barry Richards or even Zaheer Abbas for that mater.Neverthless Boycott has also played a role in some major test match wins in West Indies like at Port of Spain in 1967-68 and 1974.Mike Brearley stated "although Geoff would occupy the crease for long and curb strokeplay his 100 out of a score of 220 would often win games when conditions were against him or the batting side.Without Boycott's presence a team would score 120 instead of 220."In a subdtle way Geoff had many fans even if he batted defesnively.
Geof had a technical weakness against left arm inswing which was exposed by Gary Sobers and to the bouncer but Michael Holding rated him the most difficult batsman to dislodge,while Richard Hadlee thought Boycott was technically ,the best of all.
After retiring he has been a succesful commentator but often outspoken and controversial.I have loved Boycott as a critique of the game.In my view when was one of the best critiques of our age.He gives Jack Hobbs and Sachin Tendulkar their due place and correctly as an all-round batsman places Hobbs even above Bradman.He also ***** the best paceman with great insight and accuracy.Never forget how much Geoff supported Waqar and Wasim in 1992-93 when the English authorities took them to court.He rates Sachin Tendulkar,Gary Sobers ,Viv Richards and Brian Lara as the greatest batsman he has seen and is all praise for Lillee,Akram and Malcolm Marshall.He rates Malcolm Marshal and Dennis Lille as the best pace bowlers with Sydney Barnes and in his world xi includes them.I praise Boycott's all-time world xi.which shows selective discretion.I also applaud his selection of 11 best bowlers which superbly ***** the strong points of different bowling greats be it Larwood,Lillee,Hadlee,Marshall,Barnes,Garner or Holding.I reccomend all viewers to see his assesment on youtube.I also want readers to read his letter to Sachin Tendulkar when praising Jack Hobbs.
Quoting John Thickness in cricinfo:
If ever a defence appeared to be impenetrable it was that of Yorkshireman Geoff Boycott when his mind was set on staying in. The features of his forward stroke were the distance he thrust forward behind a big left pad, how low his head was as he searched for signs of movement from the ball, and its balance and compactness. Add a sharp-edged thigh-pad protecting the top of his leg and there wasn't a chink of daylight to be seen. If he hadn't made himself unavailable for 30 Tests in his prime - because, it was thought he felt that he, rather than Mike Denness, should have succeeded Ray Illingworth as captain - he would surely have become the first Englishman to make 10,000 Test runs. He returned triumphantly in 1977, scoring a century in his comeback Test and another - his 100th in first-class cricket - in front of his adoring home crowd at Headingley. As opener he saw his first task as scoring heavily enough to protect his teams against defeat, and in Test cricket and the County Championship - the matches that counted in the first-class averages - he was as sparing with the attacking strokes as, in retirement, he is strident in his opinions on the game. How valuable he was to England is shown by the fact that only 20 of his 108 Tests ended in defeat, mainly when he failed. His most productive strokes, off the back foot through the covers (his speciality) and the on-drive, were majestic in their power and placement. But he was not the man to press home an advantage. A loner, and an insatiable net-player, he was short of friends inside the game; indeed there were many who heartily disliked him because of his self-centredness. But he had charm, and responded warmly to those who offered friendship. After his retirement he became a trenchant commentator.
