England legend steps into new role at club despite controversy for remarks on ICEC report
Sir Ian Botham, pictured commentating for Sky in 2018, has been elected as Durham’s Honorary President • Getty Images
Ian Botham has been elected as honorary president of Durham, after completing a seven-year term as the club chair, with Phil Collins, his vice-chair, stepping into the role with immediate effect.
Botham, who was appointed in 2017 having played for Durham in the club’s maiden seasons as a first-class county in 1992 and 1993, attracted controversy last year for his scathing response to the report into cricket’s racism crisis by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC), which he described as “nonsense” and claimed he “threw down on the floor”.
In response, ICEC chair Cindy Butts told MPs at a Culture, Media and Sport select committee hearing in February that the ECB lacked “a moral backbone” in failing to distance itself from Botham’s comments, adding that Botham himself had been asked to give evidence to the inquiry, but had not responded.
Speaking after the end of Botham’s Durham tenure was confirmed, ECB Chair Richard Thompson said: “Over 50 years, Lord Botham has made a huge contribution to English cricket and in particular to Durham, first as a player before returning as chair in 2017 at a very challenging time for the club.”
Collins, who became vice-chair and a director of Durham in 2017, enters the role with over 35 years’ of commercial and marketing experience in various industries, along with a lifelong passion for cricket.
He takes over with Durham restored to the top flight of the County Championship, having been relegated back in 2016 as punishment for a financial crisis that required the ECB to bail them out.
Botham took over as chair soon afterwards, and said in a press release from the club: “I am delighted with what has been achieved at the Club during my tenure both on and off the field.
“Our men’s team have performed superbly in recent times and this was evident with our promotion to Division One and our performances last year in the topflight.
“Our successful Tier 1 bid is huge for the region and we are absolutely delighted to bring professional women’s sport to the region.
“It’s a huge endorsement of the pathway we already have at Durham and the potential of the region and our squad and coaching staff is coming together very nicely.
“I look forward to working with Phil to achieve our goals and build on our successes, as I wish him all the best as our new Club Chair.”
Collins added: “I’m delighted to have taken on the role of chair in what is a very exciting time for Durham Cricket. Lord Ian and the board has laid strong foundations for many years and I am looking forward to building on the work which has been achieved.
“The response to my election has been magnificent and everyone has been very supportive. “I can’t wait for the season to start and for our men’s and women’s teams to get competing on the field, while we work on some exciting projects off it too.”
