Middlesex hit by fine and suspended points deduction after breaches of ECB financial regulations

Following an investigation, the ECB found that funds allocated for the Middlesex Cricket Board, which was meant to be spent on the pathways and recreational cricket, had been used by the county cricket club

Middlesex have been penalised and effectively placed in 'special measures' by the ECB after breaching various financial regulations. 

Following an investigation, the ECB found that funds allocated for the Middlesex Cricket Board, which was meant to be spent on the pathways and recreational cricket, had been used by the county cricket club. 

Those sanctions include a fine of £150,000 - £100,000 of it suspended until October 31, 2025 - as well as points deductions in all three men's county competitions. Again, all the points suspensions are suspended until the end of October 2025.

By comparison, in 2016 Durham were relegated and penalised 48 points for the following season after requiring financial help from the ECB. They were also stripped of their ability to host Test cricket.

^{Middlesex have been found to be in breach of ECB financial regulations [Getty Images]}

A statement released by the ECB said Middlesex "have accepted non-compliance of their CPA with ECB, and that the Club has been financially mismanaged over a number of years and is in breach of the ECB financial regulations."

The ECB accepted, however, that "the failings identified have largely resulted from a lack of effective governance and oversight of the financial position of Middlesex Cricket" and insisted the "core business of MCCC and MCB" will be run separately in future.

As a result, the ECB have demanded oversight of the club's financial plans going forward, which will limit spending on players and demand they show a "sustainable year-on-year profit". The plans will be monitored by the ECB on a quarterly basis, with them attending Middlesex board and audit meetings.

Middlesex responded with a statement that described them as "extremely disappointed with the outcome of the ECB's investigation and the sanctions which are imposed upon us."

They were also at pains to state the faults had occurred "under [a] previous administration."

"Today's announcement from the ECB draws a line under the matter, and we accept their findings that historically, under previous administration, the club has been poorly financially managed over a number of years," they said. 

^{A general view of Lord's [Getty Images]}

The club's financial issues first came to light when it emerged they had missed pension payments to past and current employees. While the club have routinely quoted the pensions error as a cost of £500,000, there was actually a recovery of £149,000 relating to an overpayment. This was, perhaps surprisingly, attributed to revenue (as 'other income') in 2022. Another accounting practice might have been to treat that as a prior year adjustment and attribute it to previous years.

Among other significant losses, the club announced the winding up of the [Sachin] Tendulkar Middlesex Global Academy (TMGA), which they reasoned had cost around £500,000. The club lost almost £1million in 2021. Meanwhile, their reserves dwindled from over £2m to under £200,000. All of this is tough to square with the comments of the club's chief financial officer, Illa Bhardwaj, who has stated that the club's finances were in a "better position than we've ever been in".

When the issue was discussed on a messageboard dedicated to the club, Middlesex Till We Die, it was met with a threat of legal action. The messageboard subsequently closed.  

Durham supporters could be forgiven for thinking Middlesex have escaped lightly. And, by comparison, they certainly have. But there is a new regime in place at the ECB these days and they have decided it would be better for the game to help Middlesex back on their feet rather than crushing them with penalties.