Boycott is looking forward to a return to the commentary box

He will be part of the Channel 4 team for England's home Tests against New Zealand and West Indies next summer.

Boycott, who was daignosed with cancer in 2002, is one of the most respected analysts in the game.

But he had previous contracts with BBC radio and Sky TV terminated in 1998 after being found guilty of assaulting a former girlfriend at a French hotel.

"Geoff Boycott is one of the great voices of cricket," David Kerr, C4's head of sport, told The Guardian.

"He has strong opinions informed by a career playing cricket at the highest level and a unique insight into the game of cricket."

Boycott moved into the commentary box after ending a playing career which saw him score more than 48,000 first-class runs at an average of 56.83.

Boycott's England career encompassed 108 Tests, four of them as captain, and 36 one-day internationals - including the 1979 World Cup final.

But his most famous moment came two years earlier at Headingley when he scored his 100th century in the Ashes Test against Australia.