Neil Davidson leaves Leicestershire
Neil Davidson has stepped down as chairman of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Matthew-Hoggard-c1926 and coach Tim Boon confirmed their votes of no confidence in the official.
Hoggard and Boon stated earlier in the county season that they were unhappy with the way that Davidson interfered in team affairs. However, this is something that Davidson has denied all along.
Former chief executive http://www.senore.com/Cricket/David-Smith-c53226 also left the club earlier in the summer after resigning due to a major conflict of interest he held with Davidson. It's now vital the club can move forward under a new
boss.
It's clear that there were many parties not happy with Davidson at the club and his departure seems beneficial. The county must move on in all areas if success is going to be an option next season.
Big problems
It's clear that there were big problems surrounding the chairman over the course of the season. There cannot be any conflict of interests between players and officials because this means cricket doesn't
become the sole focus.
It would have been extremely difficult for Hoggard to concentrate on improving the team and developing younger players while he was annoyed with the chairman. The captain's focus must only be on one thing
at a time.
This was clearly a consistent problem and one of the main reasons why Hoggard and Boon wrote letters to Davidson asking him to step down. Some pundits have even suggested that the chairman made the matter
worse by waiting until the end of the season to do so.
"I am proud of my seven years' service as chairman and that Leicestershire is in the process of proving that even
small counties can develop players for England with the right motivation and infrastructure.
I intend to continue to make a contribution to the game," said Davidson.
Time to move on
It is time for the county to move on because there are more pressing problems than squabbles and disagreements among officials. Leicestershire needs to work very hard to
make sure that attendances increase next summer. The only way to do this is to present a united and impressive front.
The county is in a very fragile situation and getting more people through the gates will mean more money towards a number of areas. The club will also have to start the
search for a new chairman, which is arguably the most important job in the club.
"Matthew is highly respected within the dressing room and he and all
the players have the full support of the board. Whilst the board recognises the positive contribution Neil Davidson has made during his seven years as chairman, it now wishes to put recent events in the past and get
on with the job of addressing the day-to-day running of the club," said a statement from the county.
Betting advice
It is best to back off from any betting on Leicestershire for the time being. The club has a lot of work to do during the close-season that will be integral to the success
of the first team.
Hoggard is a very experienced player and captain. He will be a solid bet to take a lot of wickets next season. He will be in a positive frame of mind now that Davidson
has left the club. This positive nature should rub off on the rest of the team.
It's too early to back Leicestershire to win any event next season. The 2010 domestic season has only just finished. There are new players to arrive and one or two are
bound to leave the county.
Tags: