By Leo McKinstry

Taking part in a pro-am golf tournament a few years back, geoffrey Boycott looked on as another player was introduced at the tee with an announcement proclaiming him to be ‘67th in the world rankings’.

The cricketer was less than impressed: ‘if i were 67th, i wouldn’t bloody boast about it,’ he shouted.

But then, the man known as the greatest Living Yorkshireman has seldom kept his views to himself. Once, after he had been run out by fellow England batsman Dennis amiss, he was furious when amiss went on to score a century. as his team-mates and the crowd applauded, Boycott shouted angrily from the pavilion balcony: ‘He’s taken all my bloody runs!’

His ability and tenacity — both at the crease and in the longer game of cricket commentary — have long led to his army of fans calling him ‘Sir geoffrey’. now that soubriquet has become a welcome reality.

and the fact his knighthood comes in Theresa May’s resignation honours list could not be more fitting — his dogged resilience as a player resembled her own as a politician.

it’s said that she phoned him to tell him of the award himself, and as a long- standing cricket fan she has made no secret of her admiration for Boycott.

This was made clear to BBC Test Match Special commentator Jonathan agnew, when he asked her whether she agreed that her tactics in interviews were like the ‘Boycott defensive block’. ‘it suited geoffrey very well,’ she replied.

now almost 79, Sir geoffrey should have been given this award years ago, but it is all the sweeter for the wait. given the controversies of his life, including a legally doubtful conviction in France for attacking a former girlfriend, there will be a few sour voices disputing his elevation. But they should not be heeded.

Boycott is an icon of British sport, a man whose distinctive Yorkshire voice and lopsided grin are synonymous with our summer game. as both a world-class player and unique pundit, he has given his life to cricket, becoming one of the most memorable, striking personalities in our national life.

Renowned australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee once remarked of Boycott’s supposed egocentric nature: ‘geoffrey fell in love with himself at an early age, and has remained faithful ever since.’

But Boycott’s real passion and fidelity are not for himself — they are for the sport he adores. His knighthood is certainly merited by his achievements in the game. He was not born with supreme natural talent, but through sheer dedication, he turned himself into one of the greatest opening batsmen in history.

DURING a professional career that lasted 25 years, he scored more than 150 centuries and became the first ever Englishman to twice average over 100 in a season. When he left the international scene in 1982, he had scored more Test runs than anyone else.

Since his retirement as a player, he has flourished as commentator, bringing acerbic insights, trenchant analysis and a colourful style to his stints behind the microphone or in print. Many of his homespun phrases have entered the lexicon of the game, such as ‘corridor of uncertainty’ or ‘i could have hit that ball with a stick of rhubarb’.

He was often accused of dullness as an opening batsman, but that charge cannot be made about his animated performances in the commentary box. His late mother has been a regular feature. ‘if my mum was alive she could captain England to play West indies . . . hopeless, aren’t they?’ Or: ‘i reckon my mum could have caught that in her pinny!’

On other occasions he was still more dismissive of flailing fielders. ‘He could have caught that between the cheeks of his backside.’

Personally, i am delighted at his knighthood. a few years ago, i wrote a book about him, delving into his complex character. Before i embarked on the biography, which was unauthorised, i had heard endless stories about his gift for causing friction, his ruthless single-mindedness, and his lack of empathy.

Boycott’s England team-mate ian Botham claimed that, as a player, ‘he was totally, almost insanely selfish’. When interviewed by Dr anthony Clare for the BBC Radio 4 series in The Psychiatrist’s Chair, Boycott proudly