Tom Harrison is the ECB's new CEO

That may well be the answer. Us - as in gossipy old men who use chat forums  such as this to exchange uncorroborated pieces of wild speculation while drinking a glass of red wine or two.

It's a perfectly acceptable - and enjoyable - modus operandi for the Unofficial Sussex Cricket Forum, but it's a disastrous model for a major international website which claims to be a reputable news gathering organisation and enjoys tens  of thousands of hits per day from all over the world. And it leads to such idiotic situations as cricinfo telling us all in the space of one week  that  Ashley Giles is set to be the new coach of  three different counties (Somerset/Leics/Lancs).

Blimey, BM - I'll have to stop taking you seriously!

The new ECB chief executive Tom Harrison arrives after possibly the worst 12 months I can remember in all my 50+ years following English cricket. And I was wondering where Mr Harrison starts with the mountain of problems in his in tray.

ENGLAND
Of the party that lost the Ashes 5-0 less than a year ago, one walked out halfway through the tour ; one had a mental breakdown; the highest run-scorer was sacked ; two coaches who forgot how to win were manoeuvred out; the wicket-keeper became a crock; the leading spinner was sacked by his county for off-field problems; the second spinner wasn’t good enough to get in his county side and was sent out on loan; the leading quick bowler managed to escape an ICC ban but his foul-mouthed and loutish behaviour left an indelible stain on his team; and the opening batsman lost form so badly that he would not have retained his place in the side except that he happens to be the captain.

The ECB then lost the media battle to a spiteful and out-for-revenge Kevin Pietersen, who with the aid of a skilled ghost writer skilfully twisted the knife in an already gaping wound. And England now go into the 2015 world cup as sixth favourites in the betting (which seems rather generous under the circumstances).

Perhaps the new CEO won’t care as long as the Ashes sell out in summer 2015. For as the frequently hysterical but occasionally perceptive George Dobell writes: “That, in the end, is what England cricket is all about: not excellence; not success but another opportunity to squeeze a few more pounds out of the business.”

COUNTY CRICKET

If Team England gives the new CEO an unpleasant headache, the state of county cricket is an industrial-strength migraine.

He inherits an utterly bonkers summer programme which has county chief executives and treasurers in open revolt (Sussex’s chairman says the schedule reduced the county’s income considerably in 2014 and as far as I know not a single county chairman/CEO/treasurer has said ‘well done, ECB, this is really working well’).

The abandonment of one-day cricket on Sundays; the extension of T20 to empty grounds on Friday nights under floodlights in freezing conditions in May; the dearth of box-office overseas players as a result of the bizarre scheduling; average T20 attendances down on 2013 (and perhaps the lowest ever in the competition’s history?); the banishment of first-class cricket in August for a hopeless 50 over comp nobody wants (2,200 at a q/f in Canterbury, 3,000 at an s/f at Edgbaston and vast swathes of empty seats at the worst-selling one day final in the history of the 47 years that Lord’s has been staging such matches); Div Two reduced to little more than feeder teams for the top counties; Essex bellyaching that Worcs were promoted illegally as someone at the ICC has retrospectively ruled that Ajmal is a chucker; the champions Yorkshire breaking off diplomatic relations with Lord’s over Andrew Gale being charged with racism; and many counties due to report their lowest membership and worst pay-at-the-gate numbers since county cricket was invented.

Good luck, Tom Harrison.

Working in a school I hate no first class cricket in August, the one month when I can attend during the week. Had the one day matches been 40 over affairs I would have settled for that but I am not a fan of 50 over games.  If the ECB could be persuaded to rethink their scheduling, and the ICC the length of ODI's I for one would be very happy.

Who is going to watch Championship cricket on TV? I really doubt BT will pay any money to show it. The best I hope for is BT make a joint bid with the BBC or another terrestrial network so at least some Test cricket is back on regular TV.

Having cricket split between two subscription channels really is the worst possible solution.  Having it back on terrestrial the best.  Not that bothered whether it is BBC, ITV3 or channel 4.

Unlikely to happen I know because money talks but one can dream.