Wisden snub for Clarke

IT Is understood Giles Clarke has not been included on the guest list for the 2016 Wisden book launch to be staged in the Lord’s Long Room tomorrow. Clarke would have expected to have been invited — not only because of his position as ECB president but as one of the major powerbrokers on the ICC. But the haughty Clarke made a fool of himself at last year’s event, storming out after haranguing guest speaker Ehsan Mani and Wisden editor Lawrence Booth for their opposition to the Clarke-involved power grab by big three cricket countries, India, England and Australia. Wisden said that only the chief executive and chairman of ECB traditionally received invitations.

THE remarkable bust-up between Manchester United’s David Gill and national game leader Roger Burden at last week’s FA Council is said to have further resolved the blazers to block all the reforms until FA chairman Greg Dyke — seen as a divisive figure by the councillors — stands down in July. Gill and Burden shook hands at the end of the meeting but no one present had seen Gill lose his cool in such fashion before. The Football League have their shortlist interviews this week for the new chairman, yet their outgoing leader Greg Clarke is being mentioned as a contender for the same post at the FA.