According to Duncan Fletcher’s autobiography, the former England coach was once verbally abused in a restaurant by Henry Blofeld, the plummy-voiced cricket commentator. “He did not even greet me, but instead just bellowed ‘F*** off’,” Fletcher said, although Blofeld, claimed that it was actually “P*** off”.

It is not the first time that Blofeld, for all his Eton upbringing, has found his colourful language has got him into hot water. Here are some more Blofeldisms:

“Gosh, it’s difficult to identify these chaps. Sometimes they turn out to be brothers or cousins and sometimes not to be related at all.”
Blofeld does his bit for race relations during a Test in 1987 between England and Pakistan

“He captains the side like a great, big baby.”
On Ian Botham in 1981

“It’s not meant to be unkind at all. It’s just that the lovely, rolling gait he has is a little bit like a wheelie bin.”
Blofeld’s nickname for Ashley Giles stuck

“He may not have quite made the leap to Hedley Verity status, but he has certainly left wheelie-binnery far behind.”
On Giles after he spun England to victory over West Indies in 2004

“Those who run cricket in this country, especially at the domestic level, are for the most part a self-serving, pusillanimous and self-important bunch of myopic dinosaurs.”
On the ECB

“England have at least nine captains out there, unfortunately Bob Willis isn’t one of them.”
During England’s three-run win over Australia at the MCG in 1982 under Willis’s notional captaincy

“I don’t care if Cowdrey and Parfitt are flying out as replacements. If I make fifty in either innings, I’m damned if I’ll stand down for Calcutta.”
Blofeld’s response during an England tour to India in 1963-64 when so many players had stomach bugs that Blofeld, who had scored a hundred for Cambridge, but was by then a journalist, was asked to be on standby for the Bombay Test. He didn’t play

“Television and I never really got on. TV are a little bit up themselves.”
On why he sticks to being on radio

“Very, very few ex-Test cricketers make it as journalists. Our profession hasn’t benefited by their presence.”
On his celebrity colleagues