WHEN it comes to annual general meetings among Bermuda's governing sporting bodies, voting for a new president is often a foregone conclusion.Either the incumbent is given a vote of confidence or, after deciding to step down, somebody else from the executive committee has already been lined up to fill the void.Occasionally, much like in the political arena, it develops into a two-horse race.It's virtually unheard of that four aspiring presidents, all of them with conflicting philosophies on how the body should be run, throw their hat into the ring.But potentially that could the case leading up to Bermuda Cricket Board's AGM next month (a date of which has yet to be fixed).And on this occasion it won't come as a great surprise given how the sport has declined in recent years.Outgoing chief Reggie Pearman shouldn't shoulder all of the blame. Indeed, those around him on the committee are just as culpable.Cricket needs a shake-up from top to bottom.And whoever replaces Reggie will be aware that in coming months they'll be under immense scrutiny.As of this week, Allen Richardson and Clay Smith had confirmed they'll be running and Lloyd Fray and Ed Bailey could join them.Bailey has yet to comment on speculation that his supporters will urge him to accept nomination.Fray might be in the same boat and has indicated he is interested.If that is the case, it should be intriguing when the various clubs make their choice.At this point, Fray and Richardson could be considered the outsiders.Many will believe the that the current first vice-president (Richardson) has been a part of the problems and won't be able to bring new ideas to the table.While it may be true that he hasn't always agreed with his fellow executive members, the mere fact that he has been a part of the decision making could be enough to drive away potential supporters.Much the same could apply to Fray who is second vice-president.As for Bailey, there are many in the cricket fraternity who believe he has the experience to get the sport back on track, having served for several years as president, before both El James and Pearman took over the reins.Then there's the new blood of Smith, who some will argue just the opposite; that he has no experience, not even as a board member.But that could work in his favour.There's little doubt that cricket needs a fresh approach from someone with a completely different outlook on how cricket should be governed.Smith is relatively young, has proved himself as both a player and coach, and has an affinity with those who are currently playing the game, more so than those who sit on the board now.It's those qualities which could install him as favourite.He's already outlined his ambitions in an article published in The Royal Gazette this week. That itself augurs well. He's not afraid to talk to the media, thus enlightening the public on BCB policies.He would encourage transparency.Too often during the current regime, decisions have been made behind close doors, the executive afraid to convey to the media any issues that were being discussed.Regardless whoever garners most support in November, there's one pressing matter that needs to be addressed immediately. Finance.The firing of Samantha Dill this month after 20 years of service has outraged some clubs as well as current and former players.Others, they believe, should have come under the chopping block first.One of those is chief executive Neil Speight, whose position is considered by some as a luxury the board can ill afford given current financial restraints.Coach David Moore may fall into the same category.Huge cuts in funding from both Government and the International Cricket Council (ICC) has changed the manner in which the BCB cut their cloth.It could be argued that Speight has the contacts, as a member of the ICC's executive, to give Bermuda more clout from an international perspective.But it could also be debated whether he spends much of his time these days in Dubai, ICC's headquarters, rather than tending to local issues.His salary and that of Moore's run into six figures.Richardson indicated last year that there was only enough in the kitty to support the current administration for another year before some hard decisions would have to made regarding salaries.It seems Dill has become the first victim.While Speight and Moore might be key figures in reversing cricket's fortunes, can the BCB afford to retain both?Only the current executive can answer that question.And it's an issue that will be on top of the agenda when the new president takes his seat, no matter who that may be.