Neil Davidson, the former Leicestershire chairman, could be on the brink of an unlikely return to cricket administration at the club where his tenure ended in revolt.
Davidson is "reluctantly" prepared to enter the fray once again to arrest Leicestershire's downward spiral. He will stand for election to the club's seven-strong board at the club's next annual general meeting at the start of the new year.
The entire playing and coaching staff of Leicestershire signed a letter begging the board to sack Davidson as chairman of the club in August 2010 citing his alleged interference in cricket matters and abrasive management style. The captain at the time was former England seamer Matthew Hoggard and the coach was Tim Boon, who was once England's assistant coach under Duncan Fletcher and is now the England Under-19 coach.
Ultimately, Davidson resigned in a chain of events that saw the coach, the chief executive and the chairman leave the club within a few months of one another.
Leicestershire have not won a Championship match since 2012 and, for the second season in succession, sit adrift at the bottom of the Division Two table. Furthermore, their better players - the likes of captain Josh Cobb, seamer Nathan Buck and promising batsman Shiv Thakor - have already announced their intention to join other teams at the end of the season.
As a result, some disaffected club members have asked Davidson for assistance. While he was far from universally popular during his last stint with the club, as chairman from 2003-2010, Davidson did invest some of his own money into the club and on-field results improved. Leicestershire won the domestic T20 title in 2004 and 2006.
"A lot of members fear for the future of the club," Davidson told the Leicester Mercury. "A number have approached me to get involved again. I would not want to see the club collapse. I have reluctantly agreed to be nominated for the board.
"The facts speak for themselves: two years and 29 games without a Championship win; bottom of Division Two again by a country mile; our best young players have either left or are leaving.
"Nearly 10 years ago we made a decision to invest in the developing our own players because we could not compete with the cheque books of the bigger counties. Just when that policy is coming to fruition, we have lost James Taylor, Harry Gurney, Shiv Thakor and Nathan Buck. All have played for England at various levels. That investment has been totally wasted.
"It is hugely disappointing to many to see Taylor captaining Notts in one-day cricket and performing so well. We've lost these players not because of money but mis-management, which is unforgivable.
"Having been chairman from 2003-2010, I understand the financial constraints of running the club. Members did not always agree with my decisions but at least I provided clear direction and leadership, which have been sadly lacking in recent seasons.
"I offer myself for election in the hope I can make a contribution to halt the club's continued downward spiral."
News of Davidson's possible return will not fill everyone with joy. Not only do a couple of signatories of the 2010 letter remain on the club's staff, but it is understood that the relationship between Davidson and Giles Clarke, the chairman of the ECB, is anything but cordial. Clarke and Davidson clashed memorably over the Allen Stanford debacle, with Davidson then backing Lord Marland when he stood against Clarke for the chairmanship of the ECB in 2009.
With Leicestershire expected to announce the appointment of the Clarke-backed Wasim Khan as their new CEO in the coming weeks, the spectre of Davidson re-appearing on the horizon will be most unwelcome at Lord's.
Furthermore, there are already whispers from Leicestershire that Davidson's decision to stand for election to the club's board might preface a campaign to be re-appointed as chairman in the coming months. There are those suggesting a special general meeting could be called.
Davidson has remained involved in cricket since leaving Leicestershire. As well as remaining president of Loughborough Town CC, he is a prominent member of a consortium that owns The Cricketer magazine. Despite investing heavily in a website, Test Match Extra, and the on-line commentary service, Test Match Sofa, The Cricketer continues to haemorrhage subscribers and recently made its entire editorial staff redundant. Test Match Sofa has not broadcast for eight months.
Davidson was offered the opportunity to be interviewed for this article.
Davidson stands for Leicestershire return
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