PETER THOMPSON, the chief executive of the Irish Cricket Union, will lose his chairman at today’s annual meeting but he denies there is a crisis.

The shock decision of Derek Brennan to quit halfway through his two-year term is thought to be because of a lack of support from the provincial unions, but until he gives his reasons in his chairman’s report this morning, the hierarchy in Irish cricket have closed ranks. All Brennan would say in advance of the meeting was that the decision was taken for personal reasons.

Brennan ran the ICU the way he ran the Leinster union, when he was the provincial chairman, with a rod of iron, and it upset more than one of the unions which he needed on board if the proposed new structures for Irish cricket are to see the light of day.

Two weeks ago the provinces received a copy of the chief executive’s draft review. They knew it was coming because it was part of Thompson’s mandate on his appointment last year but initial reaction from the Leinster and Northern unions has been negative — both are set to lose half their delegates to the 24-strong executive, bringing them into line with what they consider to be the smaller North West union.

Thompson, the former head of marketing at Warwickshire County Cricket Club, admitted yesterday that there was no guarantee that his proposals would be accepted and denied that the outgoing chairman had any significant input.

“Derek provided some insight but I took advice from every member of the Irish Cricket Union and the draft review is basically my own thoughts, having come from the professional game, for a streamlining of the ICU structure. It is an opening gambit and I’m looking forward to the responses from the ICU executive and the provincial unions. There is no right or wrong way at this stage,” he said.

The right way would, surely, have been to keep his chairman in place and, with the vice-chairman, Joe Doherty, out of the country on business, there is the potential for Irish cricket’s version of anarchy at today’s meeting.

Doherty has refused to confirm if he wants to take up office a year early — he will make a decision on his return next weekend — so the union may have to appoint a temporary chairman. Someone will be needed to chair the first meeting of the new executive this afternoon, but Thompson insists there are enough people qualified to do that job.

The chief executive explains the timing of Brennan’s decision as “natural”, adding: “The AGM is the place where the officers are confirmed for the following year and Derek has taken this decision at the end of his first year.

“The provincial unions received the news that the chairman was not standing for re-election as a matter of courtesy, so that it would not come as a shock on the day.”

How far Brennan goes in explaining his decision to the members today — and the response of the chief executive — is likely to have a major impact on the day-to-day running of the union.

With an attractive C & G Trophy game against Surrey to start the 2004 season, followed by two one-day matches against the West Indians in Belfast in June, interest on the field has never been greater. The Ireland team is on a nine-match winning run and confidence is sure to be high going into the biennial European Championships and the three-day Inter-Continental Cup qualifers against Holland and Scotland in July and August, with a prize in the world finals in Kenya for the winners.

Next year, Ireland host the ICC Trophy with five places in the 2007 World Cup finals at stake. It must be something very serious if the chairman of the ICU does not want to be involved in all that.