And Wilson has earned plenty of praise from MacLaurin in making his decision to leave the ECB.

BBC: SPORT | Cricket | One campaign too many for Wilson

Colin Maclaurin of Scotland became a professor at 19 in the 18th Century.

BBC: Indian prodigy aims high

Meanwhile, former ECB chairman Lord MacLaurin told BBC Radio 5 live that England were right to consider legal action against Butt.

BBC: England demand full apology from PCB chairman Ijaz Butt

Among the non-executives, Lord MacLaurin , the company's chairman, will quit this summer to be replaced by HSBC Chairman Sir John Bond .

FORBES: Magazine Article

Enter, at the start of this year, Lord MacLaurin, ex-boss of Tesco, a supermarket chain, as chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board.

ECONOMIST: Dead bat

MacLaurin was succeeded by David Morgan, a man with noble intentions but also a softly-spoken individual who was not going to proclaim the wonders of English cricket from the nearest rooftop.

BBC: SPORT | Cricket | One campaign too many for Wilson

But it was surely no coincidence that his introduction in June 2003 came at a time when Lord MacLaurin, the ECB's principle "mover and shaker" since its inception seven years ago, had recently stepped down.

BBC: SPORT | Cricket | One campaign too many for Wilson

Perhaps MacLaurin has made the mistake - as I did - of assuming that croquet at the top level is the same game that some of us might have played in a posh pal's back garden.

BBC: Croquet hits back in summer-sport row

Lord MacLaurin deserved better.

ECONOMIST: Dead bat