Jack Simmons has stood down as Lancashire's chairman after almost 11 years in the job, with Michael Cairns appointed as his successor.

Simmons, the 67-year-old former Old Trafford off-spinner, was replaced by the current chairman of the club's business committee. Cairns was appointed unopposed by the club's committee.

An emotional Simmons told a packed AGM that he was not going to stand for re-election for the job that he took on in September, 1997.

"I have been thinking about this for maybe a couple of years. It has all been done with the best interests of Lancashire County Cricket Club in mind without a doubt," he said.

"I want to spend a little bit more time with my granddaughter because I didn't get too much time with my daughter.

"But what I don't want people to think is that I have finished here because of my position at the ECB. That had nothing to do with it."

Simmons was given a standing ovation by the club's members and later said the one major regret in his time as chairman was not seeing the Red Rose claim an elusive County Championship title.

"I will still get the same satisfaction if we do it this year even though I am not the chairman.

"That would be the icing on the cake if we did it," he continued.

"I am always interested in the cricket side of things. How the players react to the pressure they are put under and the performances."

Simmons is affectionately known as Flat Jack by the cricketing fraternity because of his style of bowling.

Lancashire are making progress with their plans for the re-development of their Old Trafford home.

And Simmons revealed that Cairns got his vote ahead the other candidate Geoffrey Shindler because of his business pedigree adding: "He has dealt with £100million projects and has done for many, many years.

"With the amount of development and business I think it is better that someone like him can be seen to be doing this."