Isa Guha slams Geoffrey Boycott for ‘divisive’ attack on her place in BBC cricket commentary box
Popular Fox cricket commentator Isa Guha has classily cut down former England captain Geoff Boycott, who suggested she and others owe their place in the box to ‘political correctness’ rather than talent.
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Cricket commentator Isa Guha has expressed her disappointment at being dragged into a ‘tiresome’ slanging match with former England captain Sir Geoffrey Boycott, who slammed the BBC for ‘sacrificing quality for equality’.
Boycott, who played 108 Tests for England and left the BBC in June after 14 years as a cricket commentator, unloaded in an interview with the UK’s Daily Telegraph in which he accused the broadcaster of pandering to political correctness.
“They have sacrificed quality for equality. It is now all about political correctness, about gender and race,” Boycott said.
“When you work for them you are wary and frightened of saying anything. It is a minefield out there and that is sad.”
The comments were viewed as a shot at former England fast bowler Guha, whose parents are from India, and her fellow commentator Ebony Rainford-Smith, the first black woman to play for the England team, who have earned greater airtime in recent years.
Guha, who graces Australian screens as a popular and respected member of the Fox Sports’ commentary team, took to social media on Thursday to respond to claims in a UK Daily Mail report that she’d “replaced” Boycott.
Some thoughts on the Daily Mail article this morn. pic.twitter.com/voaC8QyGwQ
— Isa Guha (@isaguha) October 21, 2020
At the time, the BBC explained Boycott’s retirement was related to his quadruple heart bypass surgery.
Guha played 83 ODIs and eight Tests for England, and expressed her ‘sadness’ at the refuelling of a debate that “only serves to create division”.
“I tend to ignore these articles and realise that, by reacting, it only fulfils the objectives of the headline,” Guha wrote.
“But having been subjected to this over the last few years I just wanted to say a couple of things.
“I appreciate people have varying opinions on the job I do as a presenter/commentator.
“However, the idea that I have ‘replaced’ Geoffrey is a bit odd, having worked on international men’s cricket at the BBC for the best part of 10 years.
“Furthermore, my role is completely different to Geoffrey’s.
“To keep being dragged into this kind of conversation purely because of the colour of my skin and gender is quite frankly tiresome and only serves to create division.
“I only have sadness that this should be deemed newsworthy over something more positive and inspiring.”
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