Leicester CEO denies club in crisis after Nixon removed from role

Paul Nixon's final match in charge of Leicestershire was Tuesday's T20 defeat by Notts Outlaws

Leicestershire chief executive Sean Jarvis has denied the club is in crisis after Paul Nixon was removed from his role as head coach.

The former England wicketkeeper has been put on gardening leave and is staying away from Grace Road.

It followed news that Colin Ackermann, Callum Parkinson and Chris Wright will all move on at the end of the season.

"There is an awful lot happening at this club that we are extremely proud of," Jarvis told BBC Radio Leicester.

"And this club is without question moving forward."

He admitted the "optics" of the situation did not look good but said: "This club isn't in crisis."

Jarvis, who has been CEO since March 2020, said he could not expand on the reasons for the decision with regard to Nixon for legal reasons.

But he continued: "As chief exec, I will protect and develop Leicestershire County Cricket Club and that is my number one role, and that's what I'll continue to do, and I've done it from day one."

All-rounder Ackermann and spinner Parkinson have both agreed to join Durham for next season, while experienced seam bowler Wright has signed a two-year contract with Sussex.

"Losing three players of the quality of Callum, Colin and Chris is a bit of a blow to us, but that happens in sport. You've got to bounce back from that," said Jarvis.

"Those players were offered [new] contracts, I've got feedback from them, I've had reasons as to why they want to move on, they told me to my face and you've got to respect that.

"We've got to find players that want to be part of Leicestershire and in the next few weeks their will be announcements about [new] players and contracts. We're obviously talking to a lot of players and I'm really excited."

But he added: "Leicestershire in the past decade prior to Covid has been poor. Every door I open, whether it's on the field or off the field, there seems to be a mess behind it and that's what we are trying to sort out.

"All these different fires that seem to be burning we are now starting to eradicate and we are starting to put a proper infrastructure in place within this club."

The Foxes are third in County Championship Division Two, having lost only one of seven games so far this season, but were bottom of their group in the T20 Blast ahead of Friday's match against Northamptonshire Steelbacks.