Grateful Boycott to support Trueman's battle against cancer

London, May 16 (UNI) Fred Trueman would call him every Sunday when he was battling cancer and now with ''Fiery Freddie'' himself diagnosed with the disease, batting great Geoffrey Boycott has pledged his support through the pace legend's struggle.

''I know from experience that cancer comes as a shock. So I have great sympathy for my friend Fred Trueman, who has been diagnosed with the disease. I have spoken to Fred a couple of times in the last few days, and it is good to hear him in an optimistic frame of mind,'' Boycott wrote in Daily Telegraph.

''He is very positive about his chemotherapy, which he starts this week,'' he added.

Boycott had a lump with cancerous tissue in his neck before it was removed and recalling his old fight against the disease, the former opener said, ''...when I had my own problems with cancer Fred would ring me up every Sunday morning, between coming back from church and eating his roast. I will do everything I can to support him through this battle.'' Reminiscing his playing days, Boycott said, ''I know that Fred is mentally strong because I played cricket with him for seven years. When I started at Yorkshire as a 21-year-old I used to try to get to mid-off or mid-on so I could listen to his banter.

He was never short of a word or two. Not sledging - he never abused anyone. He was just so funny.'' Heaping praise on the pace legend, first bowler to claim 300 Test wicket, Boycott said, ''It's hard to explain to kids today how good Fred actually was. For purposes of comparison, Matthew Hoggard - who is a very fine bowler for England - has taken just over 200 Test wickets at 28. Fred took 307 at 21, and his strike rate was a wicket every 49 balls.'' ''The only way I can explain it to the present crop of England players is to think of Waqar Younis bowling fast in-swingers and then reverse the direction of movement. Fred bowled fast out-swingers from the most perfect action you will ever see,'' he added.

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