Yorkshire: Overseas roundabout not the answer, says president

The former Yorkshire and England batsman, who was also a successful umpire, was speaking after a summer that ended without silverware.

Yorkshire were favourites to win the Championship for a third successive year but finished third, while they were knocked out in the semi-finals of both one-day tournaments.

On balance, Hampshire believes they had a “remarkable” season considering injuries and international call-ups, but he did not sugar-coat the reality that Yorkshire’s batting was fragile at times.

“I think there’s a lot of work to be done,” he said. “I think we have to seriously look at some quality batting without belittling the current side.

“It’s a very awkward thing to say when the side has done well, but any side needs improving, there’s no doubt about that.

“Whether (director of cricket) Martyn Moxon can find somebody to establish themselves in the side, I don’t know, but I don’t think it’s a good thing to have overseas players coming in for four or five matches here and then another guy and another guy.

“We need to find a good player who wants to move counties or a Test player who has finished his international career, but is still a very good player.”

Yorkshire had three overseas batsmen at various stages last season: Kane Williamson, Travis Head and Jake Lehmann.

The club struggled for collective consistency from their home-grown batsmen and also had few players challenging for places from the second XI.

The loss of Jonny Bairstow to regular England duty was arguably the single-biggest factor compared with the previous year, with the wicketkeeper having hit 1,108 runs at 92 in 2015.

Overall, however, Hampshire believes that Yorkshire had a good season as they challenged strongly in all three tournaments. “From the club’s point of view, I think they’ve had a remarkable season,” he said.

“We’ve been behind the eight-ball almost since the first ball of the season in all competitions, what with injuries and call-ups.

“We have reached two semi-finals and didn’t play well (in them) – the side admit that, it’s not just my observations.

“To get to two semi-finals, bearing in mind our past performances in one-day cricket is very good.

“To be in with every chance of winning the Championship in the final match of the season was remarkable.

“I think from that point of view the whole side have done exceedingly well.”

Hampshire, 75, was a splendid batsman in his own right and a member of the great Yorkshire team of the 1960s. He played eight Tests and three one-day internationals, famously scoring a century on his Test debut against the West Indies at Lord’s in 1969, and he made more than 28,000 first-class runs.

The Yorkshire presidency has been the icing on the cake for a man who was appointed last March, and he has been warmly received in the Broad Acres and beyond.

“From a personal point of view, things have gone marvellously and I’ve been a bit taken aback by the reception that both my wife and I have had, both at Yorkshire and around the grounds that we’ve visited,” he said.

“I’ve found it very heart-warming, and we’ve had a tremendous reception from (chief executive) Mark Arthur and the (Yorkshire) board. I was quite surprised when (former chairman) Colin Graves telephoned me a couple of years ago to tell me I was the prospective president.

“It is very much the icing on the cake of a Yorkshire career – from a very humble beginning, getting trains, trams and buses to Headingley to practise in the winter in the hope of getting a game for Yorkshire Seconds, to being president. I think it’s quite an achievement.”

Despite his vast cricketing knowledge and experience, Hampshire has made a point of leaving the cricket side of Yorkshire CCC to the cricket staff.

“I’ve never got involved with how they’ve gone about their business,” he said. “This is just my personal view, but I don’t think that the president should be anywhere near the dressing room.

“Martyn (Moxon) and Jason (Gillespie) have a job to do, and both of them have been extremely polite and kind to me.

“I don’t ask questions of them, but if they want to talk cricket with me they do.”

Hampshire also had special words for Gillespie, who is leaving after five years as first-team coach, and predicted that it would be difficult for anyone to rival his record.

“With regards the coach, there’s some massive shoes to fill. Jason has done a marvellous job and has created a spirit within the side that has proved itself time and time again.

“To find anyone to emulate what Jason has done is a huge ask.”