Middlesex hit with misconduct charge by cricket regulator for third time in four years

The cricket regulator has charged Middlesex with misconduct for the third time in four years, with the allegations tied to a complaint that was upheld against former chief executive Andrew Cornish. Middlesex sacked Andrew Cornish in June after an employee made a formal complaint about his conduct in November.

The charges were announced after an internal complaint submitted last November was found to have merit and related to Cornish’s conduct towards another Middlesex employee. The club’s decision to dismiss Cornish in June has been followed by regulatory action, leaving Middlesex to manage further off-field distraction. This development adds to a stretch of scrutiny for the county that has seen multiple regulatory interventions in recent seasons.

The charges were brought by the cricket regulator and are understood to focus on Cornish’s alleged behaviour towards a colleague, who lodged the formal complaint in November. Middlesex confirmed the sacking of Andrew Cornish in June; the regulator’s response has since transformed an internal staffing matter into a formal disciplinary process. Details of the specific allegations have not been published by the regulator in its initial notice.

This marks the third occasion within four years that Middlesex have faced misconduct charges from the governing body. Each instance of regulatory action has required the club to address governance and personnel issues while responding to formal procedures. The recurrence of such charges has kept the county under the spotlight off the field as it manages reputational and operational consequences.

Club officials will now engage with the regulator’s process as the matter proceeds through the established disciplinary channels. The complaint that prompted the charge was submitted last November and subsequently upheld, triggering the sequence that led to Cornish’s dismissal in June and the regulator’s intervention thereafter. No further sanctions or timetables have been announced publicly at this stage.

The accumulation of regulatory scrutiny and the recent high-profile departure of Andrew Cornish ensure Middlesex remain embroiled in off-field issues as they address the charge. The club must now navigate the formal investigation and its implications for internal governance while the regulator advances its case.