Jack Simmons has stood down as Lancashire's chairman after almost eleven years in the job.
Cairns replaces 'Flat Jack' as Red Rose chairman
Jack Simmons has stood down as Lancashire's chairman after almost eleven years in the job.
Michael Cairns, the current chairman of the club's business committee, has been appointed as his successor, ahead of Geoffrey Shindler.
Simmons, the 67-year-old former off-spinner, told a packed AGM that he was not going to stand for re-election for the job that he took on in September 1997.
"I have been thinking about this for maybe a couple of years. It has all been done with the best interests of Lancashire County Cricket Club in mind without a doubt," he said.
"I want to spend a little bit more time with my granddaughter because I didn't get too much time with my daughter.
"But what I don't want people to think is that I have finished here because of my position at the ECB. That had nothing to do with it."
Regret
Simmons - known as 'Flat Jack' because of his style of bowling - added that his one major regret in his time as chairman was not seeing the Red Rose claim an elusive County Championship title.
Lancashire are making progress with their plans for the re-development of Old Trafford.
And Simmons revealed that Cairns got his vote ahead of Shindler because of his business pedigree.
"He has dealt with £100million projects and has done for many, many years," Simmons added.
"With the amount of development and business I think it is better that someone like him can be seen to be doing this."
