All in good time...

Like me, a correspondent on the Forum picked up a Tweet from Derbyshire Chairman Chris Grant the other night.

"Could have been the best day off the field in the history of Derbyshire CCC" ran the quote, which naturally set a few minds racing into overdrive, especially as it came around the same time that Australian batting legend Ricky Ponting announced his retirement from international cricket.

I have to say that I don't think it is anything to do with Ponting and the key words in the Tweet are "off the field". Anything involving a player would logically be "on the field", not that I'm suggesting that negotiations should be conducted out on the square, of course...

Conjecture is pointless at this stage. For all I know - or any of you for that matter - we may have struck a deal whereby Madonna is sponsoring the Academy for the next ten years. Or maybe Jamie Oliver is taking over the catering, with Kelly Brook, Elle MacPherson and Kim Basinger lined up to wait tables. Maybe the club bookshop is being taken over by Waterstones. We don't know, but I'm sure that the club won't be too long in telling us.

It was all said by another Forum correspondent "We are so lucky to have Mr Grant at the helm". Quite. With Grant and Storey at the helm of our club we are professionally run. Members and supporters alike should sit back and enjoy the ride, as whatever news is forthcoming will undoubtedly be to the benefit of all of us.

Going back to Ponting, I am sure that if there was a small possibility of his being interested in a couple of seasons in England we would be making enquiries. For all that he now struggles early in his innings at the very highest level, his performances for Tasmania this winter have shown that he is still a very good player. Should any county manage to tempt him to this country they would reap the rewards. Not just for his batting - and he would breeze a thousand runs - but for his influence on a team. Ponting is up there with the best, but in his retirement speech he said that he was now planning to spend time with his other team, his family.

Yes, he could do that in this country, but I just don't have the vibes that Ponting sees a two-year slog in the English counties as his next career move. I might be wrong and I would be thrilled if Ponting let the world know that he'd always wanted to spend quality time in the Peak District, but I don't see it happening.

Such a player would, however, make a massive difference to our 2013 prospects. That we have a young, relatively inexperienced side is undeniable. The addition of a top-class, world ranked batsman would make the world sit up and notice. We all know how fast things are moving at the club and the signing of someone of that calibre would reinforce it for the outside world. As I've said before though, it is a shrinking market and if Derbyshire came close to landing such a player it would be a monumental achievement.

Elsewhere, Usman Khawaja scored 85 as Queensland beat his old side, New South Wales in a 50-over game last night, round about the same time that his national team mates have been left a piffling 632 to beat South Africa. They could bat out two days for a draw, but the chances of either happening must be on the anorexic side of slim. The Saffers are a fine side and it was good to see former Derbyshire man Robin Peterson back in their side and taking wickets. He adds depth to the batting and is more reliable with the ball than Tahir, who blows hot and cold at top level.

Former Derbyshire favourite Graeme Welch appears to be in poll position to take over from Ashley Giles at Warwickshire, which should spice up next summer's opening fixture even more. "Pop" is well-rated in coaching circles and fully deserves a crack at a top job.

Meanwhile, over in Bangladesh the West Indies shoot themselves in the foot after a good few months with some poor displays against Bangladesh in one-day matches. Their fortunes in the format seem heavily dependent on Chris Gayle, who Derbyshire came close to signing for T20 last summer. So much so, that when he fails it appears that there isn't a plan B, especially when the brilliance of Shivnarine Chanderpaul is kept for Test cricket and younger players come in. That's all well and good, but few of them seem to score any runs...

Finally today, a comment on the "appearance" of Andrew Flintoff in a boxing ring on Friday evening. The former Lancashire man won few friends in Derbyshire with his petty comments about us when he announced his retirement  from cricket. That he had got himself fit for a fight is beyond dispute, but the same cannot be said about a very well selected opponent.

Indeed, if I get stuck into everything as usual this Christmas I reckon I would still be in better condition to fight Flintoff before the New Year. Put it this way, even with a dodgy knee, Flintoff was never likely to be troubled by an opponent who looked incapable of quick movement.

Until the next time. Maybe we'll hear all about that news, sometime soon.