The safe pair of hands will need to keep a cool head

English cricket has opted for a safe pair of hands in electing the man who will lead the game for the next two years. The sigh of relief from the offices of the England and Wales Cricket Board could be heard all over Lord's.

David Morgan can expect a turbulent two years in office but he made precisely the start that might have been expected of him, as if he was running round the boundary and judging a catch to perfection. After his narrow victory, by 11 votes to eight, in the poll for the ECB chairmanship, Morgan paid heed to his opponent, Mike Soper. In view of the closeness, he said, some of Soper's ideas should be followed, especially on the "popularisation of cricket".

Perversely, it was Soper's slogan that he intended to make cricket more popular than football that may have cost him the election. It was patently nonsense. Morgan, who officially takes up his post in January, has to decide quickly what his profile will be. In succeeding Lord MacLaurin he has a hard and public act to follow.

MacLaurin might not always have been consistent or logical of thought, but he was good for cricket. First, he came with a reputation as a darling of the City. Secondly, he invariably had something to say on the game nationally or internationally which was eminently quotable. Thirdly, he developed a reputation that he had influence in the corridors of power. A period of quiet reflection might be appropriate, but cricket needs a front man.

Morgan's credentials as reasonable man and sound administrator are strong. He has been chairman of the First Class Forum, the grouping of the 18 first-class counties and MCC, which is a bastion of self-interest. It could be argued that he, more than MacLaurin, has been responsible for persuading them to adopt significant change.

He will have to make himself known in political circles, but that might be an over-rated part of the job. True, MacLaurin's most important act was being decisively persuasive on the delisting of Test matches as a protected television sport. Delisting brought in more bidders and paved the way for the lucrative deal with Channel 4. But as a Tory peer, MacLaurin did not necessarily have regular easy access to senior figures in a Labour government with such a big majority.

Morgan's more important task may be explaining away a quite ridiculous fixture list which next season sees seven Test matches and 13 one-day internationals. The following summer could have seven Tests and 28 one-dayers as the ICC Champions' Trophy is being held in the country. He must grapple with how all that squares with the new county 20-over tournament.

The relief at Lord's was simply because they suspect that Morgan will not upset the apple cart. Soper, who has been a marvellously effective chairman of Surrey, had let it slip vaguely that he was unhappy with the ECB administration, and that there were too many staff.

Morgan will realise that the middle management at Lord's, the development, marketing and coaching staff, are dedicated. The ECB can and do make cock-ups, not least with regard to the England team, but they have already made vast strides in the so-called "popularisation of the game", demonstrated by their input into schools and clubs.

As for staff, cricket, the country's second sport, actually has fewer than any other governing body. Football has 275 staff, rugby employs 200, tennis has 186 and bringing up the rear is cricket with a measly 109. They might still all have to work hard, but they should now keep their jobs.