Pinnacle for proud new president Bird

Bird’s appointment will be confirmed at the club’s annual general meeting at Headingley cricket ground.

As previously reported, Bird, 80, is the unanimous choice of the Yorkshire board to replace Geoffrey Boycott, who steps down at the end of his two-year term.

Bird has already described the impending honour – expected to be unanimously rubber-stamped by the club’s members – as “the pinnacle of my life”.

The annual general meeting, which starts at 10.00am in the Long Room, will also confirm that Yorkshire lost £600,000 during 2013, a figure heavily blamed on bad weather and poor international ticket sales.

That financial hit has subsequently been softened by the signing of a two-year deal with leading accounting firm Mazars, who have become Yorkshire’s main partner in an arrangement thought to be worth around £400,000 to the cash-strapped club, who are circa £24m in debt.

Members will also hear a report from director of cricket Martyn Moxon, who is in the happy position of being able to reflect on a splendid year in the County Championship in which Yorkshire finished runners-up to Durham.

Although one-day form was contrastingly poor, with the club having made no impact in the one-day league or Twenty20 Cup, the signing of Australian batsman Aaron Finch betrays their ambition to rectify matters this summer and hopefully win a trophy.

The meeting will further confirm the appointment of former Yorkshire and India batsman Sachin Tendulkar as an honorary life member, as well as the elevation to the vice-presidency of Robert Hilliam, Stephen Mann, Bill Mustoe and David Warner.