Published: Jun 23, 2017, 11:08 PM (IST)
Edited: Jun 23, 2017, 11:16 PM (IST)
BBC’s veteran Henry Blofeld has put curtains on his 45-year-old commentary career. He will retire from his role with Test Match Special (TMS) this summer. The 77-year-old’s final assignment will be the third Test between England and West Indies at Lord’s. ‘Blowers’ as he is fondly called, wrote on his website, “All good things come to an end. After nearly fifty years in the Test Match Special commentary box, I have decided the time has come for the last of the old farts to hang up his microphone.” FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: England vs South Africa 2017, 2nd T20I at Taunton
Deteriorating eyesight is a reason and he wanted to quit in own terms. BBC further quoted, “Although I am still rather keener than mustard, I find it harder work than I once did. I leave supremely confident TMS is in the safest of hands, led by the ageless Aggers [Jonathan Agnew]. I think he will come to be seen as the best.”
“Listeners will now be relieved to know that their chances of being told the right name of the fielders at third man and fine leg have greatly increased. I hope some will be sad that they will now hear less about the lifestyles of pigeons, seagulls and helicopters, although I fear the general feeling will be one of huge relief.”
Blofeld became a household name because of his distinct voice and for his use of the phrase “my dear old thing.” He was a fine First-Class cricketer with Cambridge University in the 1950s. His dreams of pursuing professional cricket came to an end at 17 because of an accident, where a bus knocked off his bicycle and he spent close to month in coma.
After stints with print journalism in the 1960s and banking, he made his debut for TMS in 1972.
In a 45-year-old career, the greatest memory that he picks up is from ‘Botham’s Ashes’. Blofeld adds: “My greatest memory? Headingley 1981, that amazing Test against Australia. Botham 149 not out, Willis eight for 43. Always good to beat Australia isn’t it?”
Former English skipper Michael Vaughan tweeted, “Please please change your mind… we need ‘my dear old thing’ for a few more years.”
Blofeld added, “Commentary has become much more conversational since I started. It has changed enormously. I don’t know if it’s better, I think it probably is. One of the important things about TMS is that it is company. That’s a wonderful definition. A lot of our audience are people doing housework wanting a comfortable voice.
“I talk about seagulls policemen and the girl in the red dress in the grandstand, it’s all that I think which attracts people along with the cricket. I’ve been so wildly privileged to be part of TMS for so long. I shall miss it enormously and I will always feel the TMS box is my home.”
He will commentate next month on the 2 Tests against South Africa and his farewell will be at Lord’s.
