Why Geoffrey Boycott receiving knighthood is being termed ‘controversial’?

Former Yorkshire and English batsman, Geoffrey Boycott has never been averse to controversies and the 78-year-old himself in the midst of another storm after he said he did not “give a toss” about the country-wide condemnation of his knighthood from a leading domestic violence charity.

The former English cricket captain and now a commentator was knighted in Former Prime Minister Theresa May’s resignation honors for his service to the sport. The condemnation surrounding Boycott’s knighthood is due to the former skipper’s conviction in a 1998 domestic violence where he was accused of beating up his former girlfriend, leaving her with bruised forehead and black eyes Boycott was fined 5000 pounds besides being given a three-month suspended jailed sentence by the French court but he has, however, always denied the charge, maintaining her injuries were sustained in an accidental fall

Responding to the claims of Adina Claire, the co-acting chief executive of Women’s aid, who described Boycott’s knighthood by May as ‘extremely disappointing’. Boycott told the BBC4 Radio Today program anchor Martha Kearney, “I don’t give a toss about her.”

Claire had argued, “Celebrating a man who was convicted for assaulting his partner sends a dangerous message that domestic abuse is not taken seriously as a crime. With increasing awareness of domestic abuse, and a domestic abuse bill ready to be taken forward by the government, it is extremely disappointing that a knighthood has been recommended for Geoffrey Boycott, who is a convicted perpetrator of domestic abuse.”

When Kearney asked why Boycott had not been given the honor sooner and suggested one reason could be the conviction. He also cited his innocence and cited the conviction as a reason for his outspoken support for Brexit.

“You can take your political nature and do whatever you want with it. Twenty-five years ago, love. In a French court, she [Moore] tried to blackmail me for £1m. I said no, because in England if you pay any money at all, we think: ‘Hang on, there must be something there.’ I said, ‘I’m not paying anything’ … I’m not sure I’d actually got a million at the time.

“It’s a court case in France where you’re guilty, which is one of the reasons I [didn’t] vote to remain in Europe – because you’re guilty until you’re proved innocent. That’s totally the opposite of England and it’s very difficult to prove you’re innocent in another country and another language. Most people in England don’t believe it. I didn’t do it. Move on. It’s a cross I have to bear, right or wrong, good or bad, I have to live with it. And I do because I’m clear in my mind and I think most people in England are that it’s not true.

“I don’t care a toss about her, love. It was 25 years ago. You can take your political nature and do whatever you want with it. You want to talk to me about my knighthood. It’s very nice of you to have me, but I couldn’t give a toss.”

“This is just a recognition of my cricket. [It’s] very nice, very honored, thankful to Theresa May and I thank all the people that supported me and cared for me throughout my cricketing career”

Interestingly, this is not the first time controversy has erupted with topics related to Boycott and Knighthood. In 2017, the former English skipper had suggested he would have to black up for him to be awarded a knighthood, alleging that the honor was handed out like “confetti” to West Indies cricketers, saying, “Mine has been turned down twice. I’d better black my face.”