Boycott bids for Yorkshire board return

LONDON: England great Geoffrey Boycott will discover on Saturday whether he has been successful in his bid to return to the Yorkshire board when the English county champions hold their annual general meeting.

Former Yorkshire opener Boycott previously served on the board between 2007 and 2012.

He was also Yorkshire's president in 2012 and 2013, since when they have won back-to-back Championships, with a largely homegrown team coached by former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie.

The 75-year-old Boycott, a respected television analyst, has insisted he does not want to interfere in cricket matters but was standing again because of concerns over Yorkshire's debt of more than £20 million ($28 million).

However, the current Yorkshire chairman Steve Denison, is not a fan of Boycott returning to the committee, as he made clear in a letter to club members where he said: "We need specialist skills on our board in relation to finance and construction, and that's the direction of the board over the next few years."

"I'm not trying to cause any problems, create any trouble," Boycott told the Yorkshire Post.

"The debt has gone from £5 million in 2002 to £24 million in 12 years...We can't go on borrowing money -- £24 million is huge... that's a recipe for disaster."

Former Yorkshire and England batsman Michael Vaughan praised Boycott's passion but said a return to committee duties would not be beneficial for either his fellow television pundit or the county.

"I like it when he says he's not trying to cause any trouble," said Vaughan. "Well, he is. He's certainly done that.

"He's passionate, I love him to bits, but he's 75 years of age. Come on Geoffrey, go and have a game of golf!"

Meanwhile Gillespie insisted the committee intrigue would not affect his side.

"It hasn't been a distraction," he said. "All that stuff will sort itself out."

Boycott, arguably the best defensive batsman of his generation, played for Yorkshire from 1962-1986 and had a stint as county captain.

But the final years of his career were dogged by bitterness and division, with Yorkshire split into 'pro' and 'anti' Boycott camps during what was a largely lean spell for English cricket's most successful county.