Botham happy to help Durham

Durham will find themselves in Division Two of the Specsavers County Championship next season, and will start the campaign with a 48-point penalty, after the England and Wales Cricket Board agreed a £3.8million package to mitigate their financial difficulties.

A salary cap until April 2020 and block on Durham hosting Test matches at their Chester-le-Street venue are two other conditions of the aid agreed with the governing body.

Former England captain Botham finished his career with Durham, a big-name signing after they became the newest first-class county 25 years ago, and he lives in the north east.

The club is to overhaul its own governance, instituting a 'community interest' company, and Botham predicts a "long tunnel" ahead but one which definitely has "light at the end".

The 60-year-old told Sky Sports News: "Things had to change."

As for the nature of his possible involvement, he added: "It's very, very early. But yes, I'll be (willing to) throw my hat into the ring to help - and we'll see what happens.

"That's to be decided. That's what the discussions will be about.

"It's in its infancy, so we'll just wait and see. But I'm very pleased to be involved. The north east is where I live, and the north east deserves to have a first-class cricket team."

Botham's sympathies are with players, including veteran captain Paul Collingwood and England all-rounder Ben Stokes, who helped to earn Division One status - only to learn that Durham will be going down after all, with Hampshire staying up instead.

"Of course you feel for the players," he said.

"It's not their fault that the administration has got it wrong, far from it."

The great all-rounder remains optimistic about the future, despite the handicap with which Durham will begin next summer.

"There's a lot of work to be done but there are a lot of good young players coming through the Durham system," he added.

"The points deduction, well, we'll just have to win the first couple of games at Durham. That's what they've got to say to themselves.

"What we're looking at is trying to salvage a wonderful cricket team.

"They've done well over the years. They've been exceptional - and that will continue, I'm sure."

Botham's emotional attachment to the county is strong.

He added: "It's a long tunnel, but there's definitely light at the end of it.

"It was a privilege for me to play in the first Durham first-class side, and if I can help in any way with this I'll be very pleased."

For his part, Collingwood tweeted: "Yes I'm angry, yes I'm devastated along with all the other players at this great club but far better being in Division 2 than none at all. What we need now is all of your support cause we won't stop fighting till we get this club back up to where it belongs."

Durham's misfortune has been to Hampshire's benefit, but their chairman Rod Bransgrove admits to mixed feelings.

"It has obviously given us a bit of a lift, but against a backdrop of sadness," he said.

"We have an administration at the ECB who take these issues very seriously.

"They are having to make a decision which safeguards the interests of Durham and the rest of the game as a whole."

It was reported last night that Kent are to take legal advice as they seek to appeal the decision to readmit Hampshire to Division One.

Kent finished second in Division Two of the County Championship and understood they would be considered for the position after Durham forfeited their place as part of a financial rescue package agreed with the ECB.

They were especially disappointed to discover the news via Twitter instead of receiving official ECB notification.

"We will consult our lawyers," Kent chairman, George Kennedy, told ESPNcricinfo. "We need to find out how we can appeal against a decision we consider unfair.

"We are very upset. We expected we would be given an opportunity to present our case to the ECB. It seems to be an arbitrary decision and the ECB are hiding behind regulations that nobody appears to have seen."