Photo Credit: Instagram Photo of @middlesexcricket
Middlesex County Cricket Club has been cleared of improper conduct following a disciplinary hearing by the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC).
The club, based at Lord’s, had faced a charge under England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Directive 3.3, which covers actions “which is improper or which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket, or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any cricketer or groups of cricketers into disrepute.”
Middlesex denied the allegations and was exonerated by the CDC. The charge reportedly stemmed from complaints about the alleged behavior of a staff member, for which the club was held accountable under ECB rules, rather than the individual.
The Cricket Regulator, an independent disciplinary body established by the ECB after parliamentary criticism following the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal, is responsible for enforcing regulations. The charge, brought by the Regulator in June, was ultimately deemed unproven by the CDC panel, which, in an unusual move, decided not to publish the reasoning behind their decision.
“On 20 June 2024, Middlesex County Cricket Club was charged by the Cricket Regulator with a single breach of ECB Directive 3.3,” a statement from the Cricket Regulator confirmed.
“Following a full hearing before an independent panel of the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) on 17 September 2024, the CDC panel has found that the Cricket Regulator’s charge was not proven. The CDC panel directed that the details of the decision are not published.”
Separately, the Guardian reported that a Review Group within the Cricket Regulator’s Board had noted concerns regarding “the culture, behaviour and governance” at Middlesex in September but opted not to pursue additional disciplinary measures.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
