Middlesex have appointed Julie Harrington, the former British Cycling chief executive, as their interim chief executive. The move comes eight months after Andrew Cornish, the club’s full-time chief executive, took a “leave of absence” as the Cricket Regulator launched an investigation into his conduct.

Harrington worked for the English FA as group operations director from 2011-17 and has since served as chief executive at British Cycling and the British Horseracing Authority. She was also recently appointed as a non-executive director at the London Stadium, along with Hundred managing director Vikram Banerjee.

“It is a privilege to be joining Middlesex Cricket, a club with a proud history, a distinguished place in the game, and a deep connection with its members, supporters and communities,” Harrington said in a club statement which made no mention of Cornish.

“Middlesex is one of county cricket’s great names, and I am looking forward to bringing my experience from high-performing sporting environments to work with the board, staff, players and members,” Harrington added. “Together, we will support the club through this period and help ensure it is well placed for the future.”

Richard Sykes, Middlesex’s chair, said: “We are delighted to welcome Julie to Middlesex Cricket as Interim CEO. Her extensive leadership experience across major sports will be valuable as we enter this important new chapter.

“Together, we remain focused on providing stability for our people, supporting our players, members and staff, and ensuring Middlesex continues to move forward with confidence and purpose.”

Middlesex’s business was overseen earlier this year by Mahdi Choudhury, the membership director at MCC who was seconded to the club on an interim basis until April.

The club’s men’s team have had a middling season on the field: they sit fourth in Division Two of the County Championship, 18 points off the second promotion spot with six matches remaining, and have won three out of 10 group-stage matches in the T20 Blast. The women’s team are unbeaten in three One-Day Cup matches and sit fourth in the second tier of the Blast.

Middlesex were placed into special measures by the ECB in late 2023 after sustained financial issues, and were criticised in a scathing letter by ex-players including Mike Gatting on the eve of this season.