Former England captain Sir Geoffrey Boycott has been diagnosed with throat cancer for the second time and will undergo surgery.
The 83-year-old was informed last week that the cancer had returned, having previously been treated for the illness in 2002 with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Boycott is scheduled for surgery to remove the cancer in two weeks’ time.
In a statement to the Daily Telegraph, Boycott said, “In the last few weeks, I have had an MRI scan, CT scan, a PET scan, and two biopsies, and it has now been confirmed I have throat cancer and will require an operation. From past experience, I realize that to overcome cancer a second time, I will need excellent medical treatment and quite a bit of luck. Even if the operation is successful, every cancer patient knows they have to live with the possibility of it returning. So, I will just get on with it and hope for the best.”
The former England batsman scored 8,114 runs in 108 Tests from 1964 to 1982 and captained the team on four occasions in 1978, standing in for the injured Mike Brearley.
During his first-class career, Boycott, who played for Yorkshire, averaged 56.83 with the bat and scored 151 centuries and over 48,000 runs.
Following his retirement, Boycott became a successful broadcaster and was a part of the BBC’s cricket commentary team.
In 2020, his 14-year tenure as a commentator on the BBC’s Test Match Special came to an end.
Boycott underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery in 2018, which he cited as a factor in his departure from the BBC, along with the coronavirus pandemic.