He has the ability to be extremely charming and an equal ability to be a complete sod

David Gower, Former England cricketer

Renowned as one of the world's hardest players to get out, his record was phenomenal.

On two occasions he averaged more than 100 in a season and he scored more than 8,000 runs in Test cricket. In 1980, he was awarded the OBE.

His colourful private life and inclination to speak his mind won him as many enemies as it did friends, both professionally and in private.

Love him or loathe him, it was impossible to ignore him.

Fellow England star and broadcaster David Gower once commented: "He has the ability to be extremely charming and an equal ability to be a complete sod."

Tangled love life

Given the choice between Raquel Welch and a hundred at Lord's, I'd take the hundred every time

Geoffrey Boycott

Never married, Boycott's most enduring relationship has been with his partner of almost 40 years, Anne Wyatt, with whom he shares a home.

But over the years, the tabloid press have carried a series of stories from former girlfriends eager to talk about their relationship with him..

He once famously commented: "Given the choice between Raquel Welch and a hundred at Lord's, I'd take the hundred every time."

Sacked

When his cricketing career ended, he became a high-profile radio and television broadcaster.

But away from the commentary box, it was his tangled love life that was to prove his undoing and damage the career he had built up since retiring from cricket.

In January 1998, after he lost the first appeal against conviction for assaulting Margaret Moore, he was sacked as a columnist by the Sun newspaper.

Both the BBC and Trans World International, for whom he had commented in the past, also said they had no intention of using him again.

Dogged as ever, he found success in the public eye once again when he was hired as a cricket commentator for talkSPORT.

A talkSPORT spokeswoman said the outcome of his appeal would make no difference. She added: "Geoffrey Boycott plays a vital role in our cricket coverage team."

His job may be safe, but he faces the toughest test yet of public opinion following this latest defeat.