Hi there,

The cogs are starting to move once more. More players are being signed and all the coaching staff are being confirmed. We are now within 50 days of the first game and it feels like county cricket is starting to awaken. Certainly, the story needs to move on because we still seem to be mired in two thorny issues - racism and the ECB’s role. Surrey and Leicestershire provide the good news in this edition. Hopefully, there will be more next time around.

In the meantime, please share and enjoy this newsletter and the county game.

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County moves - players and coaches

Coaches: Lewis (Essex), Trott (Warwickshire), Ramprakash (Middlesex), Ali, Maiden, Smith (Yorkshire)

Lots of coaches appointed recently as the county squads move on from fitness work and look to get outside once more.

Players: Bohannon (Lancashire), David (Lancashire), Robson (Middlesex), Christian (Nottinghamshire), Smeed (Somerset), Petersen (Durham), McDermott (Hampshire)

Ali (Worcestershire) replacing Matthew Wade, who is not coming now.

All the player moves this winter

Derbyshire expect Shan Masood and Suranga Lakmal for County Championship opener (The Cricketer)

Derbyshire's new head coach Mickey Arthur distances himself from vacant England position... but admits he envisages a return to the international scene in the future

Arthur press conference hugely impressive (Peakfan)

This is the most exciting coaching appointment of the winter. Upon arrival, Arthur said: "It has been a struggling county, it's an unfashionable county and I thought "that's the county I want to go to." I want to come and be able to make a difference.’

Good on him. Also, there is an insight into the trials of being a peripatetic coach and an outsider's view of county cricket.

News, Views and Interviews

Civil War erupts at Yorkshire County Cricket Club as current and former Chairmen trade verbal blows (Mirror)

The last few weeks have demonstrated how the UK establishment protects its own posterior and deliberately blocks change. The police took the sting out of Sue Gray's report to help an amoral PM stay in charge of a corrupt Government then Prince Andrew reportedly paid £12m to someone he said he had never met so the misdemeanours he said he did not do could be hidden from view. The moves against Lord Patel's reformation of Yorkshire CCC are obviously less serious in nature but the methods are broadly similar. Soak up bad press, manoeuvre in the background and wait for the moment to evoke the letter of the law hoping to derail, delay or disparage your opponent safe in the knowledge that you are best-placed to quietly rebuild amidst the ensuing chaos. Forget whether it is right or not.

While I am right behind Lord Patel, Yorkshire need to be punished in a tangible and proportionate way. As expected, the door is now wide open for them to retain their international fixtures. Patel has argued the county may fold without the finances from these games. This is questionable. However, it brings into focus the earlier folly of letting the White Rose stay in Division One. Yes, there is still a possibility of points deductions or salary restrictions but failing to send them down seems like a huge mistake because right now it appears that, on the pitch at least, they are getting away with “institutional racism”.

Just as this newsletter was being completed news broke of Essex being charged after failing to investigate when a racist comment was allegedly made at a board meeting. County cricket needs to clean the house.

Warwickshire launch first Multifaith Charter through new EDI programme (Sports Insight)

Worcestershire's Pat Brown targeting a red-ball return (Express and Star)

Nice to see a white-ball specialist bowler looking to play more red-ball cricket. Pat Brown really broke through as a T20 player a couple of years ago. Injuries have held him back since.

Want to write off county cricket clubs? You need to understand what they mean to so many (The Cricketer) ($)

A lovely wistful piece about Derbyshire.

Film directors exploring tragedy should make movies about cricket (The Guardian)

Alex Davies: Warwickshire's new signing given ECB ban for historical posts (BBC)

OK, let me lay my cards on the table. I have led media training for international footballers in the past and the very first thing you always do is quiz them about historic posts. Then get an intern to go through and delete every single item that might cause controversy.

However, I do think the law (both real-life and sporting) needs to catch up here. Let's get guidelines over what constitutes an unacceptable post for young teens, mid-teens and those over 18 years-old. Racism and sexism etc can never be excused, but so many of our existing laws enshrine the idea that the judgement of minors is not cast-iron. Something like car insurance even adds a financial calculation to this idea. 

We need clear guidance and flip around the use of social media to promote the community work miscreants undertake as recompense. 

Surrey surpass 15,000 members for the first time (Surrey CCC)

Leicestershire announce record £483,000 profit & £4.9m income for 2020-21 (BBC)

Some have sought to poke holes in these numbers. Yes, Surrey's membership figures are boosted by access to England tickets at The Oval and Leicestershire, like every county, are reliant on ECB central funding. (Let's not call it a ‘handout’, let's call it payment for the 152 Tests, 121 ODIs and 56 T20I games Stuart Broad has played).

However, this is progress. Like Derbyshire, Leicestershire are now in a position to pay off chunks of their debts. Meanwhile, Northamptonshire have come a long way from the years when, according to their CEO, they were "counting every loo roll". And remember, these three could be the first counties against the wall if the ECB's franchise-led revolution ever comes to pass. 

Matt Fisher set to land family £5,000 windfall from 10-year-old bet on England debut (Mirror)

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The ECB

Tom Harrison's ECB reign nearing an end as chief exec could stand down before AGM (The Cricketer) ($)

Andrew Strauss is perfectly placed to lead English cricket review - but Tom Harrison's continued presence provides a warning (The Cricketer) ($)

There’s a great paragraph in this piece by George Dobell.

“It was intriguing to hear Harrison say he was not “clinging on for grim death” in his role as chief executive in that press conference. For that is almost exactly what it feels he is doing these days.

“It’s almost five years since he agreed to the huge broadcast deal that was meant to preface an exciting new era but, like a one-hit-wonder peddling their half-remembered song around ever-smaller venues, he’s increasingly living off the fumes of that success. You wonder if Chesney Hawkes might even make a better ECB CEO at this point.”

Two things must disappear from English cricket - The Hundred and Tom Harrison (Telegraph) ($)

After all the failings and public money, it’s time to talk about ECB bonuses (Guardian)

The rumble of discontent around the ECB is growing louder and louder by the week. Story after story is suggesting Tom Harrison's time is up and some of us believe his exit strategy will be simple - bank his bonus and wait for a quiet period to resign so it will not appear forced. But, of course, it will have been. The tournament-that-shall-not-be-named set a hefty proportion of the counties and the ‘legacy fans’ against him. He will have known that. This becomes an acute problem when failures such as the Yorkshire racism scandal, the Ashes performance and the Pakistan tour arrive in quick succession. He has hidden and dithered then, when called to account on several occasions by the DCMS committee, been utterly exposed.

Reportedly, Colin Graves wanted to stay on as ECB chairman at the end of his allotted tenure but found few friends. Harrison has little support now. But, after seven years in control, when he is going to be held to account if not at this point?

Noticeably, the ECB chair tried to pour cold water on suggestions of an imminent exit. Well, he would, wouldn't he? But then there is no point in sacking Harrison and keeping the ECB board or, indeed, the ECB itself. Remember it was they who appointed Harrison when Surrey CEO Richard Gould was a highly-regarded candidate offering an alternative that put the counties at the forefront of the game. The ECB went for Harrison and his plan then signed off the £2.1m bonus pool for him and the top executives. Gould has since moved on to become CEO of Bristol City.

So, yes, Harrison must go asap. But, in his place, the ECB are going to appoint another public school suit whose CV screams 'I will make you money'. Finances are crucial but they can never be everything. The ECB took over from the TCCB in 1997 and in that time English cricket has failed to capitalised on its few successes and has fallen way behind a previously comparable sport like rugby union. 

The last generation has proved the ECB is not fit for purpose. Let's use this nadir to start again otherwise we are just moving deckchairs on a very big ship with an iceberg looming over the horizon.