Vaughan joins board as Boycott steps up as president

The Yorkshire Post understands that the former England captain is poised to join the Headingley hierarchy to provide help and advice on cricketing matters.

Yorkshire last night declined to comment ahead of today’s annual meeting at Headingley Carnegie, where they are expected to make an official announcement to members.

The meeting is also due to confirm the appointment as club president of former Yorkshire and England opening batsman Geoffrey Boycott, who would serve a two-year term in succession to his former team-mate Raymond Illingworth.

Boycott, whom Vaughan would replace on the board, has stated that the presidency would be “the icing on the cake” of his cricketing life.

Vaughan, 37, has been assisting Yorkshire for some time in an unofficial capacity.

He has mentored Andrew Gale since the club captain was appointed in December 2009 and he also sat on the interview panel which recently oversaw a dramatic overhaul of the county’s coaching staff.

There have even been rumours among Yorkshire’s supporters that Vaughan is in the frame to become the club’s next chief executive – a position that has remained unfilled since the departure of Stewart Regan to the Scottish Football Association in 2010.

However, insiders are insistent that there is no substance to such suggestions, with Vaughan having a number of business interests as well as a high-profile job as a summariser on Test Match Special.

Yorkshire would certainly welcome at boardroom level Vaughan’s expertise as a former Ashes-winning captain and ex-Yorkshire player at a time when they are seeking to bounce back from the ignominy of County Championship relegation.

After finishing third in Division One in 2010, when they came within a batting collapse of winning the title, Yorkshire had a shocking season last time as they finished second-bottom of the table, a fall from grace of unexpected dimensions.

Vaughan would offer counsel as and when required and would also most likely have an input in terms of potential signings.

Yorkshire may well delve into the overseas market this summer having received confirmation that Australian batsman Phil Jaques is not classed as an overseas player on account of the fact he holds a British passport due to English parentage.

However, I understand that plans to potentially recruit an overseas pace bowler have been put on hold until new first-team coach Jason Gillespie has satisfied himself that Yorkshire do not already possess sufficient home-grown players who could step up to the mark.

The former Australia fast bowler, along with director of cricket Martyn Moxon, is keen to field as many Yorkshire-born cricketers as possible and it is likely that Yorkshire will wait for several games into the new season before deciding what action to take.

Gillespie is putting the players through their paces on a pre-season tour of the West Indies, although Moxon has returned home early to attend today’s Headingley meeting, which starts at 10am.

Although Moxon and company are set to face some tough questions from the floor after the disappointing events of last summer, the main interest will focus on Boycott’s proposed elevation to the presidency.

Boycott is the unanimous choice of the board to succeed Illingworth in the role but he is not, it is fair to say, the unanimous choice of everyone connected with Yorkshire cricket – not least former team-mates such as Bob Appleyard and Richard Hutton.

However, preliminary indications are that Boycott has the majority support of members and that his appointment will go through as planned.

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Cricket’s Mr Marmite – Chris Waters gives his verdict on Geoffrey Boycott: Page 5.