David Collier set to be named as ECB chief executive

The ECB will announce the name of its new chief executive at a press conference at Lord's tomorrow morning (Oct 13). Although officials remained light-lipped about the identity of Tim Lamb's successor, many of today's newspapers tipped David Collier, who is currently Nottinghamshire's chief executive.

Collier, 48, is already a member of the ECB's management board, and is the favourite of the three candidates on the short-list. The others are Richard Bevan, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers Association, and Matthew Wheeler, a former Northamptonshire player who has worked in sports marketing.

Collier has considerable domestic experience, having worked at four counties - Essex, Gloucestershire and Leicestershire before moving to Trent Bridge. He also has worked in sports marketing, and the leisure industry for Sema, a Cheshire-based computer-systems company. He's also a hockey referee, and in 2003 played an important part in organising a rescue package which bailed out the England Hockey Association.

Wheeler's stint with Northamptonshire was brief - he played just two matches for them as a fast-medium bowler in 1985 - but he made more of an impression with Octagon, the group currently advising the ECB on the new television contracts, and he has made a success of his two sports-marketing companies.

Bevan's was the surprising name on the short-list, given that he has often crossed swords with the ECB in the past in his dealings on behalf of the players.

A firm of headhunters has been working on behalf of the ECB to find a replacement for Lamb, who resigned in May after six years in charge.