Chief executive Tim Bostock says Durham being given a tier one women바카라s team is the 바카라most visible way바카라 the England and Wales Cricket Board has put past issues with the county to bed. (More Cricket News)
Durham were stripped of Test status and demoted to Division Two of the County Championship in October 2016 as part of a raft of unprecedented sanctions for accepting a £3.8million bailout from the ECB.
While Durham are back in Division One this season, captain Scott Borthwick said last year there remains some bitterness towards the ECB from a lot of people at the club at how the situation was handled.
But Bostock thinks relations, at least at hierarchical level, thawed some time ago and he argued Durham being awarded one of the eight professionalised women바카라s teams last week is a telling indicator of that.
바카라I was always focused on fixing what was in front of me and rebuilding relationships everywhere but particularly with the ECB,바카라 Bostock, who joined Durham in July 2018, told the PA news agency.
바카라No matter what, if you바카라re going to war with your governing body, who are your main funders and your main decision-makers, you바카라re not going to get anywhere and that바카라s the same in any walk of life.
바카라Our focus was on rebuilding our reputation and by doing that we got a place at the top table again, which meant we were in a position to influence in a positive way future decisions.
바카라During the last period, the ECB has been very supportive of Durham. This isn바카라t the first time they바카라ve demonstrated it but this is the most visible way the ECB has demonstrated that the past is behind us.바카라
The current women바카라s regional structure is being replaced next year as teams have been aligned with Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Surrey and Warwickshire.
Bostock believes one of the biggest selling points in Durham바카라s pitch as they edged out rival bids from the likes of Yorkshire was that all their home games would be played at the Seat Unique Riverside.
바카라The stability of the club is one thing and our vision for the future,바카라 Bostock said. 바카라Reputation-wise, we took a bit of a hit a few years ago but we바카라ve managed to rebuild that.
바카라All of our games will be played at the main ground, an international ground and giving the women the stage to demonstrate what they can do and not have to play on outgrounds.
바카라There will be the same effort and expertise going into making the women the best they can possibly be as what goes into the men. That is absolutely right.바카라
The decision seemingly boosts Durham바카라s prospects of being involved in The Hundred from next year, with the ECB contemplating expanding the tournament from eight to 10 teams and pursuing private investment.
One of the proposals under consideration and said to be favoured by the ECB is giving host counties 51 per cent of equity in their team that they could then sell off to receive a significant windfall.
Indeed, the financial assistance could go a long way to paying off a £27million hotel complex at Durham바카라s ground, currently in the planning stage, which Bostock estimates will be a 바카라game-changer바카라 for the county, quadrupling profits and doubling turnover.
바카라There바카라s no doubt having a professional women바카라s team helps with aspirations for a team in The Hundred,바카라 Bostock added.
바카라It바카라s critical we get a Hundred team here. Financially it바카라s going to be a massive boon. The difference between The Hundred teams and non-Hundred teams financially is going to be like chalk and cheese.
바카라The proposed sell-off of the teams is a significant amount of money. It would put the club on a really, really strong financial footing which then goes all the way back into the development of cricket with the men and women, it all mushrooms from there.바카라
