By Kevin Howells BBC Sport

The waves caused by coach Wayne Clark's decision to sacrifice Yorkshire's Championship winning captain David Byas in 2001 finally came crashing onto the shore 16 months later.

Clark has lost his job and by next week captain Darren Lehmann will have followed his Australian compatriot in losing his title.

Yorkshire will be led by a new skipper and Headingley's most successful and cherished overseas player will remain as a batsman dependent on his international commitments.

A certain quarter began to view the Clark-Lehman partnership as an "Antipodean mafia".

Clark had one year of his contract left

Numerous times last season Yorkshire's players referred to the "Australian way" to prepare and play the game.

Yorkshire hardly won a Championship game and were relegated although they did triumph in the C&G Trophy.

Victoria's Matt Elliott, who joined Yorkshire late last season, could yet be named as skipper for 2003.

Former Yorkshire and England spinner Geoff Cope will head up the new structure as director of cricket with two coaches working under him who specialise in batting and bowling.

These are likely to be former batsman Kevin Sharp, and current second team coach, Arnie Sidebottom.

Last season some individuals who were struggling needed more technical help and the batsmen felt this most acutely.

There is a fear among some supporters that in 2001 Yorkshire took a large step forward in winning the Championship but in 2002 they leapt with equal force in the wrong direction.

Lehmann is set to be replaced as captain

There is no prouder Yorkshireman than David Byas.

But he saw the negative effect that naval gazing and reminiscences had on a side.

When Byas left, Yorkshire lost their discipline.

Clark would be right to point to the intense problems of the financial plight of the club.

The shambolic organisation of kit and support to the team and backroom squabbles all had some bearing on the team's performance but it does not account for it all.

Clark's refusal to accept the role of bowling coach this season may be a red herring.

But what is likely to have upset the new Yorkshire management board is the amount of time the man from Perth was available to work out of season.

Last April the then county champions were under prepared for the defence of their title.

Could Gough be the new Yorkshire captain?

And this winter, the players themselves have been left in charge of organising their own off-season programme. That did not go down well.

Other than Elliot, Richard Blakey is a front runner for the job of captain.

The 36-year-old Huddersfield man enjoyed some success as stand-in skipper last year and led the side in their Lord's triumph in the C&G Trophy final.

Darren Gough cannot be ruled out either. But he is unlikely to be considered as captain while he cannot prove his fitness.

Anthony McGrath, Richard Dawson and Matthew Wood are also contenders.

A meeting to rubber stamp the new captain and settle on the coaching set up for the new season will take place on Thursday.

And the decision will be announced at noon on Friday.