Exclusive: Yorkshire dynasty could depend on England calls, warns Boycott

The former Yorkshire and England opening batsman said they could go on to claim many more trophies in the coming years.

But Boycott – still arguably the biggest name in cricket – added this key caveat: “We can do it – but only if England leave us with enough players.”

Speaking exclusively to The Yorkshire Post, Boycott said: “Hopefully we’ll do it again. We’ve got a good academy, we’ve got some more good youngsters, and hopefully we’ll do it again and again in the next few years.

“If England leave us with enough players, I think we will do it again. It just depends on how many players are called up by England.”

Yorkshire won the title this year despite losing their two best batsmen for most of the season – Joe Root and Gary Ballance. Both scored more than 700 runs in the Tests against Sri Lanka and India to cement their places, one imagines, for years to come.

Root has played in only three of Yorkshire’s 15 Championship games to date, while Ballance has appeared in five.

Both were among the 12 men awarded central contracts last week by England for the next 12 months, with Ballance gaining his first international deal.

In addition to Root and Ballance, Yorkshire were without bowler Liam Plunkett for parts of the summer as he returned to Test action after a seven-year gap.

Counter-balancing those absences has been the fact that Yorkshire have had the services of Jonny Bairstow and Tim Bresnan for the majority of the campaign, with both having lost their international spots and Bresnan, indeed, his central contract.

But with Bairstow and Bresnan still very much in the international picture, and with opening batsmen Adam Lyth and Alex Lees knocking increasingly loudly on England’s door, along with Adil Rashid, there is some uncertainty surrounding the make-up of the Yorkshire side going forward.

It should still be good enough, however, to challenge strongly for the title for many years to come, and it will be fascinating to see how Yorkshire respond to any further international call-ups and how they look to integrate more youngsters into the set-up, which has been a key feature in the build-up to this year’s triumph.

For now, Boycott, 73, is simply delighted for all at Headingley.

It was Yorkshire’s first silverware of any description since 2002, and the legendary right-hander – who served with distinction as club president in 2012 and 2013 – is elated for everyone involved.

“I’m thrilled to bits for them,” said Boycott, who was part of five Championship-winning teams as a player on his way to 32,570 first-class runs for Yorkshire at 57.85, with 103 hundreds.

“I’m pleased for everyone – not just the players, but the backroom staff as well, everybody. They’ve put their heart and soul into it, and it’s great for the club. I’m simply delighted for them – players and staff.”

Geoffrey Boycott will be appearing at The York Barbican on Thursday September 25 in An Evening with Boycott & Aggers. Messrs Boycott and his Test Match Special colleague Jonathan Agnew will debate the game’s hot topics in an event that starts at 7.30pm. To book tickets, telephone 0844-8542757.