Sir Geoffrey Boycott departs BBC Test Match Special team after 14 'wonderful' years

Sir Geoffrey Boycott bid farewell to Test Match Special on Friday after 14 years, following the BBC’s announcement of its new commentary team.

Sir Geoffrey’s contract was not renewed at the end of last summer and at the age of 79, and after quadruple heart bypass surgery two years ago, he would not have been able to work this summer anyway given the restrictions around the Coronavirus outbreak.

He will continue to write columns and analysis for Telegraph Sport giving his insight and opinions on the England team but the BBC has lost one of cricket’s most recognisable voices and strident pundits.

“I would like to thank BBC TMS for a wonderful 14 years. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and just love cricket with a passion,” he said in a statement. “I also wish to thank all those that have said how much they have enjoyed my commentary and for those that haven’t - too bad!

“My contract with the BBC finished at the end of last summer. While I would love to have continued doing full time commentary I also need to be realistic and honest with myself.  This Covid-19 virus has made the decision for both of us. Recently I had a quadruple heart bypass and at nearly 80 years old I am at the wrong age to be commentating in a biosecure area trapped day and night in confined spaces with the same people — even if some of those commentators I regard as friends, and others I admire.

“Hopefully I may still be able to have some input if that tall lanky ex-Leicestershire medium pace bowler [BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew] needs an honest appraisal or needs to take the mickey out of me, maybe he will give me a call while on air.  Who knows?”

Barbara Slater, Director of BBC Sport said: "Geoffrey has been an iconic voice in our Test Match Special box for 14 years. Whilst we wish the circumstances were different, we would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank him for his contribution to our cricket commentary over the years and we're still hoping to hear his unique cricketing insight at some point on TMS this summer."

The BBC announced on Thursday that Isa Guha will be the lead presenter on their television highlights show alongside former England captains Sir Alastair Cook and Telegraph Sport columnist Michael Vaughan.

The highlights show will be shown on BBC 2 from 7pm every night after the BBC won the rights from Channel 5 along with eight live matches from the Hundred, which has been postponed by 12 months.

The BBC are also contracted to show two live men’s Twenty20 internationals as part of their rights deal with the ECB, which will be their first live cricket content for 20 years.

So far the board has only confirmed the three Tests against West Indies as going ahead but England are due to play both Pakistan and Australia in T20 cricket this summer. Once those games are confirmed, the BBC will announce which ones it is covering.