Cricket legend Sir Geoffrey Boycott says he is ‘lucky to be alive’ after wife Rachael spotted a ‘major problem’ and saved his life by calling an ambulance
- Sir Geoffrey Boycott recently underwent surgery after being diagnosed with cancer
- After returning home from surgery, the cricket legend developed pneumonia
- Boycott is convinced that without his wife Rachael’s actions he would have died
Cricket legend Sir Geoffrey Boycott said his wife saved his life after he was recently rushed to hospital with pneumonia.
The 83-year-old player, who made more than 8,000 Test runs for England before embarking on an iconic career as a commentator, required surgery last month after being diagnosed with throat cancer for the second time.
After the operation he went home, but developed pneumonia.
Boycott left the hospital again on Thursday before writing a column for The Telegraph that he felt ‘lucky to be alive’.
After thanking his fans and supporters for their expressions of support, Boycott reflected on the moment he nearly lost his life.
Sir Geoffrey Boycott has said he feels lucky to be alive after a recent bout of pneumonia
Boycott claimed his life was saved by the actions of his wife Rachael, pictured (right) next to him in the Royal Box on Centre Court at Wimbledon in June 2013.
He wrote: ‘I am still here thanks to the quick thinking of my wife Rachael, who saw that I had taken a turn for the worse in my recovery from surgery for throat cancer.
‘I recovered from the surgery at home and felt quite well at first, but at night I became confused, couldn’t speak properly and looked awful.
‘We had a pulse oximeter at home that she put on my finger, and it said my blood oxygen level was 35 percent.
‘Then she knew there was a big problem and she called an ambulance.
“I was rushed back, put on oxygen and diagnosed with pneumonia. I was completely devastated and if Rachael hadn’t acted so quickly I probably wouldn’t have made it through the night. She saved my life, there’s no doubt about it.”
Boycott’s family had previously released a statement on July 21 after he returned to hospital.
“Thank you all for the well wishes, we are overwhelmed by the number!” his daughter Emma wrote on her father’s X account (formerly Twitter).
‘Unfortunately, the situation has worsened and my father has contracted pneumonia. He cannot eat or drink and is currently back in hospital, on oxygen and through a feeding tube.’
Former England and Yorkshire captain Boycott, 83, is an icon in the world of cricket analysts
Boycott’s daughter Emma (right) previously sent fans an update on her father’s condition
Boycott had announced a few weeks earlier that his cancer had returned.
This happened more than 20 years after he was first diagnosed with the disease in 2003.