Harker to leave Durham

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Durham chief executive David Harker has confirmed he will be stepping down next year, ending a two-decade association with the county.

Harker has held his current position for the past 13 years, but will vacate the role in May, with no decision yet made regarding his successor.

The North-East born businessman leaves the club on a high, with a first Ashes Test secured in 2013, and Harker is confident he has made the right decision.

“Whatever you achieve, there is always the temptation to stay on and reach the next goal but it does feel like now is the time to step aside and pass on the reins to someone else,” he said.

“With the Ashes secured in 2013 – something we could once have scarcely imagined happening in Durham - I had been thinking that the coming year may be the one in which I looked for a new challenge.”

Durham have twice won the LV= County Championship, in 2008 and 2009, during Harker’s tenure.

“I have enjoyed a fantastic 20 years with DCCC. The club has changed beyond recognition since I joined the team, and it’s a real honour to have played a part in the fantastic achievements made here.”

The Emirates Durham ICG will host an Ashes Test for the first time in the summer of 2013. "(It is) something we could once have scarcely imagined happening in Durham," said outgoing chief executive David Harker. "It does feel like now is the time to step aside and pass on the reins."

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