Boycott released from hospital after pneumonia

Former England captain Sir Geoffrey Boycott has been released from hospital after developing pneumonia following cancer surgery.

The 83-year-old, who was diagnosed with throat cancer for a second time in June, has credited the actions of his wife for saving his life.

His family said last month that Boycott’s recovery had taken “a turn for the worse” and he was “on oxygen and a feeding tube for the foreseeable”.

Boycott told The Telegraph on Friday: “I am still here because of the quick thinking of my wife Rachael.

“She recognised I had taken a turn for the worse in my recovery from surgery for throat cancer.

“I was recuperating at home from the operation and felt pretty good at first but overnight I became delirious, was not talking properly and looked awful.

“We had a pulse oximeter at home which she put on my finger and it recorded my blood oxygen level at 35%.

“That is when she knew there was a major problem and called an ambulance. I was rushed back in, put on oxygen and diagnosed with pneumonia.

“It has knocked hell out of me and if Rachael had not acted so quickly I am pretty sure I would not have made it through the night. She saved my life, no doubt about that.”

Boycott was first diagnosed with throat cancer in 2002 and was treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

The former England opening batsman played in 108 Tests between 1964 and 1982, scoring 8,114 runs including 22 centuries.

Boycott, who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire, averaged 56.83 as a batter with more than 48,000 runs and 151 centuries.

He spent 14 years with the BBC’s commentary team after retiring from playing, working on Test Match Special until 2020.

Boycott had quadruple heart bypass surgery in 2018, which he said was a factor in his decision to step away from commentating, as well as the coronavirus pandemic.