(Photo: Getty Images)
By Harvey Burgess
Sir Ian Botham is set to be appointed as the new chairman of Durham this week, according to the Mirror.
The former England all-rounder, who is a resident of the north-east and played for Durham for a spell during his career, will aim to attract investment in order to revive the club from their financial struggles.
Botham will be given a hands-on role at the club, who have managed to keep hold of some notable players despite their relegation. Ben Stokes and Mark Wood, two of Durham’s England players, have stated they will continue to play at the club where they made their name.
Durham were relegated from the County Championship to Division One last season on account of their financial woes and accepted a package of £3.8m from the ECB.
The north-east club’s debt was thought to be in the region of £7.5m and despite finishing fourth in the league, were forced to accept relegation in return for the ECB’s financial aid. They will start next season on -48 points as further punishment for their mismanagement.
The county’s ground at Chester-Le-Street is still eligible to hold international T20 and ODI matches, but has been relegated from Test status by the ECB.
The 60-year-old, who also famously played football for Scunthorpe United in his sporting career, said that the north-east “deserves to have a first-class cricket team”.
