Cricket: Maverick Marlar the original mover and shaker

David Llewellyn on the colourful new chairman of Sussex County Cricket Club

Robin Marlar yesterday made his first move as the new chairman of troubled Sussex by appointing a fellow Old Harrovian, Tony Pigott, as the club's director of cricket and acting chief executive. It was typical of Marlar, the 66-year-old former Sussex captain, that he should have come up with as innovative a dual role as this.

Pigott is quite capable of doing the job. He must be, because when it comes to judging men and their ability in business, Marlar is in his element. He is described as a management consultant in his entry in Who's Who, but in reality he is a head-hunter; a fisher of the right man for the top position.

By nature Marlar is volatile and fearless, and affectionately known as "Snarler" by fellow cricket writers. The man charged with stopping Sussex's slide, which has seen six leading players leave (including the captain Alan Wells), stood as a Conservative candidate for Bolsover in the 1959 General Election. He is even credited with having persuaded Ted Dexter to stand for the Tories against Labour's Jim Callaghan in Cardiff in the 1965 General Election.

A former Sunday Times sports editor remembers how Marlar cast the first stone in the direction of the then chairman of the England selectors, Peter May - and they were neighbours in Surrey. He did the unthinkable and not long after the rest of Fleet Street followed.

Marlar is the original mover and shaker. He is heavily built, but can still move far and fast, like the time he was sent to Pakistan to cover an England tour. Since he had to file a report only on Saturday, Marlar arranged a business meeting in Los Angeles, flew there on Tuesday and returned to Pakistan on Friday in plenty of time to fulfil his journalistic obligations.

One acquaintance describes him as "a kind of right-wing radical,"; another as an innovator, something of a visionary. He holds what a former sports editor described as "maverick views" and is regarded by many in the Establishment as a loose cannon. If he is, then he is more often than not on target, as Sussex should find in the coming months.

Marlar took charge during Wednesday's stormy annual meeting in Brighton in which the last four members of the club's old guard were forced to resign. Elected chairman after a confusing night of constitutional procedure at the Grand Hotel, he set to work. "The way in which matters have been managed over a long time has not been satisfactory and this unacceptable situation cannot continue," he said.

"We've got Tony on board and he is keen to be involved. It would have been very wrong not to have got his dual role sorted out today. He is acting chief executive for a period of six or eight weeks and whatever develops from that, we'll take it as it comes."

The 38-year-old Pigott cannot wait to begin. "I believe I can do both jobs. Our top priority is to assess the situation," said the former seam bowler, who will also have to embrace the duties of secretary. The present incumbent, Nigel Bett, is on sick leave.

Pigott, who spent 18 years on the Hove playing staff, left his management position at neighbouring Surrey to mount the coup which saw the Sussex chairman Ken Hopkins, vice chairman Alan Wadey, former captain John Barclay and Frank Horan stand down.

Marlar has two new committee men behind him - Dick Holste (treasurer) and the Brighton businessman, Jim May - but the chairman is determined that the triumvirate should not be perceived as a clique. Marlar wants the committee up to its full complement of nine by the end of May.

However, he sees the committee as playing more of a supporting role. "I want the day-to-day running of the club to be handled by the professionals appointed for that purpose," he said. "I have some experience in business and would be willing to help and advise as and where it might be needed.

"The great thing is to create a culture where all sorts of highly-competent people, such as coach Desmond Haynes, are encouraged to do their thing without having a lot of sticky fingers around their lugholes."

Robin Marlar fact file

Born: 2 January 1931. Education: King Edward's, Lichfield; Harrow; Magdalene College, Cambridge.

Cricket: Cambridge Blue 1951-52-53 (captain in '53). Sussex 1951-68 (captain 1955-59). First-class career: 289 matches, 3,033 runs (9.72), 970 wickets (25.22).

Professional: 1953-54: Assistant master, Eton. 1954-59: Librarian Arundel Castle. 1954-60: Sportswriter Daily Telegraph. 1961: Joined Sunday Times. 1970-96: Cricket correspondent Sunday Times.

Business: 1960-68: Personnel and PR Officer De La Rue Co. Marketing Services Manager, Thomas Potterton. 1968-71: Consultant and Partner, Spencer Stuart and Associates. 1971: Founded Marlar International and Marlar Group of Consultancies (head hunting).

Politics: 1959: Contested Bolsover in General Election for Conservatives. 1962: Contested Leicester NE by-election for Conservatives. 1993: Contested Newbury by-election as Independent.