Bird in line for president’s role

It was a unanimous decision to nominate Dickie, the former Yorkshire player and international umpire, for a position which has a one-year term.

Club chairman Colin Graves said: “It is with great pleasure that Dickie has accepted our nomination.

“He is a passionate Yorkshireman that has the best interests of Yorkshire cricket at heart.

“He attends every home match and his passion and dedication will be a major asset as the club continues to develop over the next few years.”

Bird said: “Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would become the president of the greatest cricket club in the world. It is a tremendous honour and I am very humble and proud.

“I am grateful to chairman Colin Graves and the Yorkshire board for nominating me and I’m looking forward to my term in office.

“I am particularly excited about the current team and the influx of young players coming through the system.”

Harold Bird, 80, played for Yorkshire and Leicestershire from 1956 to 1964 scoring 3,314 runs in 94 matches.

In 1977 he was voted Yorkshire personality of the year and in 1986 he received an MBE and in 2011 was awarded the OBE in 2011.

He retired in 1996, after 66 test matches, 93 one-day internationals and three World Cup finals. He has also received honorary doctorates from Leeds, Huddersfield and Sheffield Hallam Universities, appeared on Desert Island Discs, a Question of Sport and been the subject of This Is Your Life. His autobiography is the biggest selling sports book of all time.

The Yorkshire president’s post has been held by Geoffrey Boycott OBE since 2012.

Graves, added: “I must thank Geoffrey, who has made an outstanding contribution during his two years in office.

“It has been a privilege and a pleasure to have worked with a true legend of both Yorkshire and world cricket.

“Geoffrey has been immense in his role and has been a faultless ambassador – promoting with enthusiasm and pride, our great club across the world through his role as a broadcaster and column writer.”