David Smith resigns

[glyn]

Interesting turn of events, given our recent discussions:

"PRESS RELEASE – 28th June 2010
The Board of Leicestershire County Cricket Club regrets to announce that it has today accepted the resignation of its Chief Executive, David Smith. The Club is in discussions with David as to the date of his departure. Mike Siddall has been appointed to the role of acting Chief Executive until a permanent appointment can be made."

 

[slyfox]

Interesting turn of events, given our recent discussions:

"PRESS RELEASE – 28th June 2010
The Board of Leicestershire County Cricket Club regrets to announce that it has today accepted the resignation of its Chief Executive, David Smith. The Club is in discussions with David as to the date of his departure. Mike Siddall has been appointed to the role of acting Chief Executive until a permanent appointment can be made."

I wonder if he reads this forum :icon_wink

 

[Redditch Fox]

Hopefully, we might get some background details tomorrow.

 

[Jeff]

From Cricinfo:



David Smith has left his position as chief executive of Leicestershire and looks set to take legal action against the club.

Smith resigned after a disagreement with Leicestershire's chairman, Neil Davidson, and has been placed on 'gardening leave' until the end of the season. Mike Siddall has assumed the role of acting chief executive until a permanent replacement can be made.

"We had a situation where the chairman was interfering in the selection of the side," Smith told CricInfo. "I will be looking to pursue a claim of constructive dismissal against the club."

Smith, who played for Warwickshire before enjoying a successful career in the the leisure industry, has been Leicestershire's chief executive for two-and-a-half years. During that period the club has weaned itself off a reliance on Kolpak registrations, returned to modest profitability and, last winter, contributed three players for the England Under-19 squad. No county produced more.

Until now, Smith has chaired the Leicestershire selection panel. In that role he has worked with the county coach, Tim Boon, and the captain, Matthew Hoggard. Leicestershire's policy has been to provide the captain with the final decision in case of disagreement. On Sunday, however, Davidson interjected in the selection procedure.

The former chief executive of Express Dairies was a keen club cricketer, but has no first-class playing experience. Earlier this season Smith resigned from his position on the ECB cricket committee in protest at the appointment of the new chairman Peter Wright. Smith felt that first-class cricket playing experience should be a pre-requisite for anyone fulfilling the role. Smith was subsequently persuaded to stay on.

 

[leicsfoxes1]

From today's Mercury:

'There was a huge shock for Leicestershire supporters yesterday when it was announced that chief executive David Smith had handed in his resignation after two-and-a-half years at the helm.

Smith, who is now on gardening leave until September 22, said he felt he had been left with no choice but to resign due to what he described as "interference" in cricketing matters from chairman Neil Davidson.

The club has a selection committee made up of Smith, senior coach Tim Boon, skipper Matthew Hoggard and vice-captain Andrew McDonald.

Smith said: "The chairman seems to think that he is entitled to intervene in selection and that is unacceptable to me. I think I have reason to bring it to everyone's attention,

"We have had intervention from the board on cricketing matters and I don't think that is appropriate.

"I'm very disappointed at having to make this decision. I'm 25-per-cent into the job of trying to move the club forward and I believe we have started to see that.

"I inherited a club that had six Kolpak players and we have made significant progress from that time.

"The ground was dilapidated when I took over but the facilities for the membership have been improved during my time. Is the club in a better shape than what I inherited? I think that is there for everybody to see.

"I'm very disappointed but I cannot have intervention from the chairman and the board."

Smith will not be out of the local picture entirely as he will remain as chairman of the Leicestershire and Rutland Cricket Board, which controls the recreational game in the county.

Interestingly, Smith says that he intends to stand to become a member of the County club board in the future once he becomes eligible for a position.

Leicestershire chairman Davidson declined to add to a statement which the club issued yesterday afternoon.

It read: "The board of directors of Leicestershire County Cricket Club regrets to announce that it has today accepted the resignation of its chief executive, David Smith.

"The club is in discussions with David as to the date of his departure. Mike Siddall has been appointed to the role of acting chief executive until a permanent appointment can be made."

Boon said Smith's resignation had come out of the blue, adding: "I'm shocked.

"I don't know the details so I can't comment.

"I have worked well in the past with David and enjoyed working with him.

"The cricket department is still in good shape. We are midway in the Championship and still in with a shout in the Twenty20."

Smith, 53, became County's chief executive in January 2008 following Paul Maylard-Mason's decision to pursue his own business interests.

Smith played 300 matches for Warwickshire between 1973 and 1985 and was a committee member at Edgbaston for nine years.

Smith is also a qualified coach.'


I don't think the Chairman or the Chief Exec should be involved in team selection! These kind of decisions should be for the coach and skipper only in my opinion.

He may have done some good at the club what with re-structuring but I will not miss his huge ego. Ta-ra David.

 

[glyn]

So we thought Smith was having too much influence on the playing side and he blames Davidson for the same! Precisely what selection for the Sunday game could have been in question I wonder?

And this from a bloke who goes on to. Radio Leicester and criticises the captain and players for three hours.

 

[leicsfoxes1]

I was pondering the same thing Glyn about what selection the argument could have been over on Sunday.

The team was: Hodge, Benning, Jefferson, Taylor, Nixon, White, Cobb, Henderson, Malik, Hoggard, Buck.

The only possible thing I could imagine is du Toit's omission from the side. Apparently, he had a quad injury, but that was not deemed serious enough for him to be left out the day after when he was named in the Championship line up at Worcester! It doesn't add up really.

Nobody in their right mind would leave du Toit out of the side at the minute, especially the T20 line up.

 

[glyn]

As you say it would have bizarre for Davidson to suggest dropping du toit. Maybe about who to replace du toit with, maybe between Cobb and naik?

I was wondering yesterday whether there was any chance of hodge playing in the championship in the absence of McDonald. Presumably some contractual restrictions.

 

[leicsfoxes1]

Hodge quit playing first class cricket at the end of last year I believe and made himself only available for one day and T20 matches.

I was thinking the same thing though, couldn't we give him a nudge and ask him to do us a favour by playing a one off championship match?

I am not sure of the legality of it though due to work permits and contractual stipulations.

 

[Redditch Fox]

Hodge quit playing first class cricket at the end of last year I believe and made himself only available for one day and T20 matches.

I was thinking the same thing though, couldn't we give him a nudge and ask him to do us a favour by playing a one off championship match?

I am not sure of the legality of it though due to work permits and contractual stipulations.

My understanding is that Cricket Austraila refused the 'no objection certificate' which would have made that possible.

 

[Redditch Fox]

So we thought Smith was having too much influence on the playing side and he blames Davidson for the same! Precisely what selection for the Sunday game could have been in question I wonder?

And this from a bloke who goes on to. Radio Leicester and criticises the captain and players for three hours.

It's quite funny really.

I put this squabbling down to the lack of a powerful, credible personality leading on the cricket side. In the absence of this we have Smith and Davidson clashing about a role that neither of them should be performing.

 

[glyn]

From the Mercury:

Smith said he felt he had no choice but to quit, feeling his position had become untenable due to differences with Davidson.

He said he and senior coach Tim Boon picked spinner Jigar Naik for the T20 game at Yorkshire because they felt Davidson had made it clear in an email to him they should do so.

The email, which the Mercury has seen, makes it clear the board had been discussing selection at a meeting, ran through statistics and recommended that Naik should play and Will Jefferson should open the batting.

Smith said: "I did not think Jigar was fit enough to play. The following game we reverted back to the team we wanted which included Josh Cobb. "Nothing against Jigar. In my view it was Neil putting me and Tim in a position where we had to take him."

Smith said he had been free to get on with the job for two years but added that Davidson had started to make his views known in recent weeks.

"I think the emails and conversations I have had with him are him saying he is entitled to have his say in selection.

"There had to be a drawing of the line as to who was responsible for what."

 

[Redditch Fox]

From the Mercury:

Just on your quote from the Mercury.

Smith is saying that he has been left to deal with team selection for the past two years and that Davidson is now interfering.

Based on the sort of selections that included the embarrassment of a team sent out for the Pro 40 at Edgbaston last season, it seems to me well time for someone to interfere.