An Ashes legend has made a controversial comment after he tried to explain a Boxing Day Test pitch.
Geoffrey Boycott, who has been commentating the Ashes Test for Channel 9, made an ‘inappropriate’ suicide joke.
‘You go into the dressing room, you get on a chair, you tie a noose and you jump on it,’ he said.
Geoffrey Boycott, who has been commentating the Ashes Test for Channel 9, made an ‘inappropriate’ suicide joke
Australian captain Steve Smith celebrates a century during the Boxing Day against England
‘I don’t know how you get out on that wicket.’
The English great, who has been working alongside Shane Warne and Mark Taylor, made the comment after he was asked to explain what batsmen should do if they get out on the Melbourne deck.
Warne turned to Taylor laughing as Boycott began to speak.
Warne then put his hand to his face, clearly shocked that Taylor would invite Boycott to make such a comment live on air.
Dozens of cricket fans took to social media to slam Mr Boycott after he made the comment on Saturday.
‘Not a great look for the sport loving city of Melbourne,’ one person wrote.
Dozens of cricket fans took to social media to slam Mr Boycott after he made the comment on Saturday
One expressed their surprise at Boycott telling the joke
Another Twitter user said Boycott was not following along with any ‘PC c**p’
Another watcher expressed surprise at Mark Taylor asking Boycott to repeat the joke on-air
‘Speaking as somebody who nearly lost a family member to suicide, I am genuinely upset by Geoffrey Boycott’s comments … not anywhere near being funny or even appropriate. Yes the pitch isn’t good but linking it to suicide is reprehensible,’ another shared.
‘Some things are never laughing matters, regardless of context,’ one wrote on Twitter.
‘Wow. Geoffrey Boycott’s comments … speechless,’ another shared.
Smith plays a shot during the Boxing Day test against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Mitchell Marsh plays one back towards the bowler during the Boxing Day test