Latest news with #Boycott
NDTV
3 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
On Handshake Row, Geoffrey Boycott Delivers Scintillating Verdict: "What Goes Around..."
England legend Geoffrey Boycott has backed Indian batters Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar for choosing to continue batting late on the final day of the drawn fourth Test, saying they had "worked their socks off" and fully deserved their hundreds. Drama unfolded on Sunday when the Indian duo, batting on 89 and 80 respectively, declined England skipper Ben Stokes' offer to settle for a draw before the start of the final hour. With the game meandering towards a stalemate, Stokes approached the umpires to initiate the handshake protocol, but Jadeja and Washington opted to carry on, having batted resolutely to pull India out of trouble after conceding a 311-run first-innings lead. "What goes around comes around. England were gobby enough when it suited them, so you can't blame India for wanting to stay on and allow two batsmen who had worked their socks off to reach their hundreds," Boycott wrote in his column for British daily 'The Telegraph'. "If you give it, like England do, then you have to be able to take it. I could hear them through the stump mics chipping away at India, so why should they be nice to them and agree to go off when England have had enough?" he added. Jadeja and Washington batted out more than two sessions to rescue India from the brink of a heavy defeat, stitching together an unbeaten 203-run stand for the fifth wicket to force a draw. "These India players are tough cookies. They do not take a backward step. There is no way I would have let anyone drag me off on 89 after I had worked hard all day to save the game for my team," Boycott wrote. "Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar deserved their hundreds. They left the ball well, played with the full face of the bat and defended their wickets at all costs. Well done." The former England captain also criticised current players for excessive sledging. "I'm not sure what it is with modern players. You hear a lot of them mouthing off. It never really happened when I was playing. It will carry on at the Oval and India will go there thinking they got a win at Old Trafford," he wrote. Boycott also took aim at England's bowling unit, which failed to bowl India out on a fifth-day pitch after racking up 669 in the first innings. "You learn more from failure than you do from success. And we failed to bowl India out. The draw highlighted the deficiencies in our bowling. If you think about it, when your best bowler in both innings is the England captain, who is a batsman-bowler, something is not right," he wrote. While lauding Stokes' effort with the ball, Boycott cautioned against over-burdening the all-rounder. "It was a tremendous effort from Ben Stokes but apart from Jofra Archer at times, the rest were ineffective," he wrote. "Every time Stokes bowls he makes something happen. It's a gift. You are born with it, you can't teach it. It is wonderful. But if they are going to rely on him all the time, then as a bowling unit England are in trouble. "He is 34 and needs to take care of himself. As much as he would like to bowl long spells, the coach has to tell him to manage himself more. It is better him bowling a bit less and staying fit than bowling more and getting injured." England currently lead the five-match series 2–1. The fifth and final Test begins on Thursday at The Oval.
India Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
Why should India be nice to England? Boycott slams Ben Stokes for Manchester drama
Former England captain Geoffrey Boycott has slammed the Ben Stokes-led England team for their on-field antics during the dramatic final moments of the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Old Trafford, Manchester. Boycott criticised England's reaction after Indian batters Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar declined an offer from Stokes to call the game off early and settle for a unfolded on Day 5 of the high-stakes Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in Manchester as Indian batters Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar declined England captain Ben Stokes' offer to settle for a draw before the final hour of play. While the rules allow both captains to agree to a draw when a result appears impossible, the Indian duo — batting on 89 and 80 — chose to carry on after leading a remarkable recovery from a 311-run deficit, a decision that visibly irked the England writing in his Telegraph column, expressed strong support for the Indian pair, stating that they had every right to keep batting after their monumental effort to save the Test match. "What goes around comes around. England were gobby enough when it suited them, so you can't blame India for wanting to stay on and allow two batsmen who had worked their socks off to reach their hundreds," Boycott wrote. "If you give it, like England do, then you have to be able to take it. I could hear them through the stump mics chipping away at India, so why should they be nice to them and agree to go off when England have had enough?" Scored a hundred, saved the Test, farmed aura! #RavindraJadeja didn't hesitate, till the end #ENGvIND 5th TEST | Starts THU, 31st July, 2:30 PM | Streaming on JioHotstar! Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 27, 2025The former England captain also hailed the mental toughness of the Indian players and said he would have done the same had he been in their shoes."These India players are tough cookies. They do not take a backward step. There is no way I would have let anyone drag me off on 89 after I had worked hard all day to save the game for my team," he wrote."Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar deserved their hundreds. They left the ball well, played with the full face of the bat and defended their wickets at all costs. Well done."Boycott did not hold back in criticising the current generation of cricketers for their over-reliance on sledging and mind games, suggesting it's a far cry from the standards during his playing days."I'm not sure what it is with modern players. You hear a lot of them mouthing off. It never really happened when I was playing. It will carry on at the Oval and India will go there thinking they got a win at Old Trafford," he wrote.- EndsYou May Also Like
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Geoffrey Boycott slams England: ‘India players are tough cookies … no way I would have let anyone drag me off on 89'
Former England opening batsman Geoffrey Boycott has slammed Ben Stokes's team for carrying on after India refused their offer for a draw on the final day of the fourth Test at Manchester. 'What goes around comes around. England were gobby enough when it suited them so you can't blame India for wanting to stay on and allow two batsmen who had worked their socks off to reach their hundreds,' Boycott noted in his Telegraph column. 'If you give it, like England do, then you have to be able to take it. I could hear them through the stump mics chipping away at India so why should they be nice to them and agree to go off when England have had enough?' Boycott then said that if he were batting he too would have done what the Indians Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar did. 'These India players are tough cookies. They do not take a backward step. There is no way I would have let anyone drag me off on 89 after I had worked hard all day to save the game for my Jadeja and Washington Sundar deserved their hundreds. They left the ball well, played with the full face of the bat and defended their wickets at all costs. Well done,' Boycott wrote. Not just Stokes who asked Jadeja 'you want a hundred against Brook and Duckett?', his other team-mates too had piled on. Harry Brook would sledge – 'F*&#ing hell Washi, get on with it'. Pacer Jofra Archer too chipped in with: 'If you wanted a hundred you should have batted like it earlier,' he would say. Opener Zak Crawley said: 'If you shake our hands, it's done.' And Ben Duckett couldn't keep quiet. 'How long do you need, an hour?'. Boycott also made a point about mentioning the sledging that can occasionally turn sour as it has done in this series. 'I'm not sure what it is with modern players. You hear a lot of them mouthing off. It never really happened when I was playing. It will carry on at the Oval and India will go there thinking they got a win at Old Trafford.' The former opener noted how the fourth Test at Old Trafford exposed England's bowling weakness. 'You learn more from failure than you do from success. And we failed to bowl India out. The draw highlighted the deficiencies in our bowling. If you think about it, when your best bowler in both innings is the England captain, who is a batsman-bowler, something is not right. It was a tremendous effort from Ben Stokes but apart from Jofra Archer at times, the rest were ineffective.' Boycott wasn't sure if Archer's body is up for playing the final Test at The Oval in London. 'It was obvious in the second innings that he was puffing and blowing a bit. It is not surprising after four years out of Test cricket. You can have all the nets in the world but that is not like bowling 89 overs in two Tests. They want to think carefully about playing him at the Oval and remember why he got injured in New Zealand when Joe Root was captain. When you have a weapon like Jofra, you need to be cautious. Don't expect too much too soon from him.' He praised Brydon Carse's 'big heart' but noted that he is a 'bang-it-in-bowler who needs bounce'. And courtesy Bazball tactics, the pitches have all been devoid of bounce and much movement as it allows England's batsmen to score quickly to facilitate their way of playing Test cricket. 'He [Carse] bowls an inconsistent length. If you look at Josh Hazlewood or Glenn McGrath, they pitch it up another couple of feet more. You want to get batsmen in two minds. Shall I go forward or stay back? That awkward in-between length.' Similarly, Boycott believes that Chris Woakes is 'not going to cut it at Test level when pitch is flat'. And Liam Dawson misses the x-factor. ' He was gentle and steady but there was no venom.' He finally summed up the fourth Test thus: 'The pitch was the winner at Old Trafford but it did set off some alarm bells about England's bowling.'
The National
6 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Scottish isle has shown leadership our leaders sorely lack
I'm referring to the community-owned Isle of Eigg – population, 120 – which has signed up to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign. Modelled on the movement which brought down Apartheid South Africa, it seeks to isolate the genocidal state of Israel by, for example, boycotting its goods and divesting from its economy. No more Israeli goods will appear in the local shop, and the residents declare that this is 'part of a continuous commitment to fundraising and solidarity with oppressed peoples.' Eigg is taking the action that Westminster will not. Our leaders have a different approach to the violent depravity and deliberate starvation inflicted by Israel on Gaza: statements which express distress and anger, but mean nothing, while they continue to arm Israel. READ MORE: Keir Starmer defers recognising Palestine amid pressure from 221 MPs and Macron On Friday evening, the UK, France and Germany issued a statement which declared that the 'time has come to end the war in Gaza', while demanding that the civilian population's needs must be met. I bet they're trembling in their jackboots in Israeli military headquarters. Sure, they got away with 21 months of slaughtering plausibly well over 100,000 Palestinians in Gaza alone, indiscriminately wiping out civilian infrastructure and the pillars of civilisation, imposing a wantonly illegal siege while destroying local food production, and subjecting the survivors to torture, kidnapping and rape. But the British, French and German governments have sent yet another really disappointed letter, so the game is up, boys! Let's be candid here. As Israel's entirely manufactured famine ravages Gaza's traumatised survivors, and photographs of children and babies reduced to skin and bone belatedly make it on to front pages, the Western public is increasingly disgusted and angry. Letters such as this are not, in actual fact, aimed at Israel at all. They are intended to deflect scrutiny about the role of Western leaders in manufacturing one of the great crimes of our age. Israeli protesters demonstrating against the genocide Sure, France has finally agreed to recognise an independent Palestinian state – an act which still eludes the Labour Government – but this is hardly the most pressing action. Western governments know exactly what Israel has been doing for nearly two years. Their leaders and officials have insisted on declaring their genocidal intentions with uncompromising honesty, day after day. On Thursday, the Israeli Heritage Minister declared that Israel is: 'racing ahead for [[Gaza]] to be wiped out. Thank God we are wiping out this evil. We are pushing this population that has been educated on Mein Kampf', adding 'All [[Gaza]] will be Jewish.' Not exactly subtle, is it? You may wonder why on earth Israel's rulers would self-incriminate themselves so willingly. Don't they know the world can hear them? Well, alas, they know almost the entire Western media – with exceptions like The National – will suppress these bloodcurdling promises. And they know that Western leaders will take no meaningful action. Western leaders know that the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against the Israeli leadership for war crimes and crimes against humanity. They know that South Africa's genocide case at the International Court of Justice led to devastating rulings and provisional orders. They know that a consensus of genocide scholars and NGOs from Amnesty International to Medicins Sant Frontieres have concluded this is genocide. They are also familiar with the deluge of videos and photographs exposing Israeli atrocities, as well as confessions by Israeli soldiers, such as that they are deliberately shooting at the unarmed civilians they starved. Our government could stop providing Israel with weapons, including components crucial for the functioning of its F-35 death jets. It could impose sweeping sanctions on Israel, as it has had no problem doing in other cases. It could impose a trade embargo on Israel, on the grounds that there is no worse crime than genocide, rather than continuing annual trade worth nearly £6bn. READ MORE: Freedom Flotilla ship 'surrounded by drones' as signal briefly lost It's not just the British government rendering itself actively complicit. Ursula von der Leyen – the president of the European Commission – declared that 'the images from Gaza are unbearable'. But they are clearly entirely bearable, because earlier this month, the EU refused to impose sanctions on Israel, leading Amnesty International to condemn it for a 'cruel and unlawful betrayal' of the Palestinian people. The EU is Israel's biggest trading partner, and Israeli campaigner Ami Dar declared that 'the EU could make Israel open the gates to virtually unlimited aid into Gaza on a day's notice. Not doing so is a choice.' The active decision of Britain and its Western allies to facilitate genocide is exactly that – a choice. The Israeli state knows it has been able to get away with anything – from reducing Gaza to apocalyptic ruin to proposing a concentration camp before the strip is removed of all living Palestinians. Israel understands that its Western allies have domestic pressures, and they must occasionally respond to that anger with statements that are ultimately meaningless. Which brings us back to Eigg. This small island will not end the genocide alone. But all injustices are overwhelmed by collective power, by acts that are big and small. In the here and now, Eigg has shown the leadership that is currently lacking. They will inspire others to take action. Struggles against injustice are often contagious. So while our leaders continue to make themselves actively complicit in the crime of the century, here's to the spirit of Eigg. For generations to come, people will ask – what did you do during Israel's genocide of the Palestinian people? Eigg has a good answer. Make sure you do, too.
NDTV
6 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
"Rishabh Pant Has Only Himself To Blame": England Great Tears Into Injured India Star
Rishabh Pant 's foot injury has left a huge void in Team India's batting lineup in the ongoing Manchester Test against England. Pant, who was retired hurt after fracturing his foot on Day 1, walked out to bat on Day 2 despite being in visible pain. He batted for a while and completed his half-century before Jofra Archer uprooted his stumps with a peach of a delivery. It is not clear whether Pant will bat in the second innings. England great Geoffrey Boycott shared his views on Pant's injury, saying that while it was an unfortunate incident, the player has no one but himself to blame. "It is always sad when a player gets hurt and affects his ability to play a part in the game. Especially someone as talented as him. But he has only himself to blame," Boycott said on The Telegraph Podcast. Boycott pointed out that there was no need for Pant to play that short considering how India were in control at that moment. "They were nicely in control, batting orthodox, there was no need to try something outrageous. Rishabh tries amazing strokes. When they come off, people are astonished and he is cheered, and that is the essence of his batting. But occasionally when it does not, it can look silly. India, yesterday, was getting themselves to an excellent batting position. On one hand, many would say that is his nature, but on the other hand, him not batting in both innings might cost India the match. It will affect the runs they could add to that innings. He is that good," he added. Pant was batting at 37 on Day 1 when he was injured while attempting to reverse sweep a Chris Woakes yorker, which ended up hitting him on the toe and resulted in a reported fracture on his right foot. Pant's injury once again sparked the debate of whether substitutes should be allowed for injuries in Test cricket. Former England batter David Lloyd was in favour of the idea in case of an external injury like Pant. "I probably am against runners, but I am pro substitutes for an external injury. It opens up a can of worms, it really does. But if it is an external injury, a break, and medically he isn't going to be fit for six weeks, you could have a like-for-like substitute. So that's something else that you've got to consider. Not like replacing a batter with a spinner, though," said Lloyd while speaking to TalkSport Cricket.
