Warwickshire will announce the identity of their new chief Executive within the next few days.
The club identified a short-list of four candidates for the role, but are now understood to have selected the individual to succeed Dennis Amiss in April.
The successful applicant is believed to come from a business background and have no direct experience of working within cricket.
That means that Stuart Robertson, the current head of marketing at Edgbaston, will not be appointed. Robertson, who was the early favourite for the position, has made a favourable impression during his time at the club and was credited with the introduction of Twenty20 cricket into the domestic programme. An ambitious man, the club may now struggle to retain his services in the long term.
David East, a former player and the current chief executive at Essex, also narrowly missed out.
Another intriguing name on the shortlist is believed to be Arthur Turner. The 50-year-old South African made his name during 11 years as chief executive of Western Province in Cape Town, but moved to Glamorgan as commercial director in September 2004. The club's inability to win planning permission for the redevelopment of their Sophia Gardens base has hindered his aspirations, however.
The name of the final applicant remains a closelyguarded mystery, but the person is believed to have a commercial [2014] rather than cricket [2014] background.
Warwickshire's Moeen Ali, meanwhile, has been appointed captain of the England side for the Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka next month.
England lost six out of six
against their Bangladesh and Sri Lankan counterparts in a one-day series before Christmas under the leadership of Essex's Varun Chopra but 18-year-old Ali impressed coach Andy Pick with his batting [2014] he scored two half-centuries in three innings despite suffering a hand injury [2014] and his burgeoning leadership qualities.
Both Pick and the new Warwickshire coach, Mark Greatbatch, have been delighted by Ali's increasing maturity. There were never doubts as to the youngster's raw talent, but the signs are that he is also developing the mental strength required for life as a top-quality sportsman. Warwickshire's left-arm spinning all-rounder, Nick James, is also in the squad.
There was less good news for Worcestershire's Richard Jones, however. The young fast bowler has been forced to withdraw from the squad with a back strain that also kept him out of the tour to Bangladesh.
Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes said: "We have been looking at slightly remodelling Richard's bowling action in an effort to minimise any further strain which might have been placed on his back. We fully expect him to have completed his rehabilitation by the start of the 2006 season." n Birmingham League champions Barnt Green have been awarded an England & Wales Cricket Board grant of £30,523 to pay for a two-bay artificial practice net.
