DAVID Byas has been confirmed as Yorkshire's new director of cricket.

His first big task when he takes up the appointment on January 1 will be to decide how to restructure the coaching side of the club's operations.

The former captain, who led Yorkshire to their first Championship title in 33 years in 2001, has been given a two-year contract with the option of a third and chief executive Colin Graves spelled it out at Headingley yesterday that Byas will have complete control of the team.

Kevin Sharp is currently chief coach with Arnie Sidebottom in charge of the second team and Steve Oldham responsible for the Academy but it will now be left to Byas - after consultations with Graves and Geoff Cope - to decide how the coaching system will operate.

It was also revealed that Australian all-rounder Ian Harvey, who has spent the last five years helping Gloucestershire become then kings of one-day cricket, will join Yorkshire next season and play alongside fellow Aussie Darren Lehmann.

Harvey arrives on a one-year contract with the option of a second, dependant upon the First Class Forum's decision over the permitted number of overseas players in 2005.

Byas, whose new post was disclosed in the Evening Press last Friday, said: "I think that to take charge of Yorkshire is a terrific opportunity, the sort that doesn't come along every day, and I am looking forward to it immensely.

"I have had a lot of good times with Yorkshire and I hope that this is the start of more good times.

"Apart from a couple or so players, we have still got pretty much the same team that lifted the Championship title in 2001. They are quality players and it is my job to find out why we went pearshaped and to get the backbone back into Yorkshire cricket.

"I was both surprised and disappointed at the sharp dip in fortunes soon after I left but that is now a thing of the past. I have tasted success with Yorkshire and it is still sweet in my mouth. We also won the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy the year after taking the Championship so we are not unused to winning things."

Byas said he had not radically missed being away from cricket for a year but he had found this opportunity to return to Yorkshire too good to turn his back on.

Another early decision Byas will have to make is whether to re-appoint Bradford-born Anthony McGrath as captain and although McGrath is likely to retain the job for a second season nothing will be confirmed until the New Year.

Dunnington-based Graves said that now Byas was taking on the role of director of cricket, Geoff Cope would become operations director and take charge of the administration side of Yorkshire cricket. He would be responsible, among other things, for liaising with Headingley's owners, Leeds Cricket, Football and Athletic Company.

Graves added that former Warwickshire captain Dermot Reeve had been approached about the possibility of joining Yorkshire as director of cricket but long term television contracts meant he could not commitment himself to the job full time and so they had started to look elsewhere.

Reeve had spent one session with the players at the end of the season and he could possibly be used again but that was for Byas to decide.

Updated: 11:00 Tuesday, December 02, 2003