James Lawton: Boycott's battling quality is needed by England
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Some flak, you may not be totally surprised to hear, has been encountered here since the recent suggestion that Ian Botham might just be the man to put a little iron back into the soul of English cricket. It was – let's be honest – a statement of emotion rather than relentless analysis, but the general point does, I believe, hold up.
As England approach another ordeal of fire in Australia the need for some positive leadership, and direct personal responsibility (beyond the usual whipping boy captain) for what happens out on the field, can rarely have been so desperate.
My critics, however, rather miraculously do not include Botham's old team-mate and rival, Geoff Boycott. Beefy and Boycs have, at a guess, as much philosophical compatibility as Genghis Khan and St Anthony of Padua. However, my conversation with Boycott the other day was about something rather more basic than the renewal of English pride on a sports field.
Boycott is a little weary from radiology treatment for his throat cancer, but he is as belligerently combative as ever. He sees it simply as another battle to be won. His waging of it, in the absence of any new initiatives from Lord's, is certainly, in its way, no less valuable to the perspective of a suffering team than the still inspirational meaning of Botham's career.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments