Root scraps midnight curfew ahead of Headingley Test against Pakistan
Joe Root has lifted the England team's midnight curfew ahead of the first Test against Pakistan at Headingley next week as he prepares to begin his second spell as Test captain. He told his squad: "Let's be adults."
The curfew had been reintroduced earlier this year after a series of late-night incidents on tours of New Zealand and Australia, but it was originally put in place during Root's first spell as Test captain between 2017 and 2022 following drinking incidents on the 2017-18 Ashes tour. The rule was abolished when Ben Stokes became captain in 2022, then reinstated during the winter before being scrapped again now that Root is back in charge. The immediate catalyst for the earlier reintroduction included Stokes breaking the curfew in a London nightclub after England's win against New Zealand, an episode the BBC says contributed to events that led to his retirement from international cricket.
The curfew will also no longer apply to England's white-ball teams, despite no change to their leadership; the limited-overs sides remain led by coach Brendon McCullum and captain Harry Brook. Speaking to Sky Sports, Root said: "There's not going to be a curfew. I don't think this needs to be a big deal, to be honest."
While McCullum has been replaced as Test coach by Stephen Fleming, Fleming will not be in place for the three matches against Pakistan, with Marcus Trescothick acting as the interim coach. On the subject of discipline and responsibility Root added: "My view on curfews is that I don't think they work and if you want guys to take responsibility on the field, they've got to feel like they can be grown adults off it and make good, strong decisions off it," added Root. "And that's for us as a team to manage well, and self-police well, for me and Flem to manage well in many ways."
A curfew had been imposed on the white-ball squad in January for their tour of Sri Lanka and the subsequent T20 World Cup after separate incidents, including Harry Brook being punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington and Ben Duckett being filmed, apparently drunk, during England's mid-Ashes holiday in Noosa. There was reported confusion over the curfew's terms and how it was communicated during the home summer for the Test team.
Following England's Lord's victory over New Zealand, Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson were out past midnight when a member of England security staff was punched by a Saracens rugby player; the pair missed the second Test while the incident was investigated and were ultimately cleared of wrongdoing. After returning for the third Test, Stokes announced midway through the match at Trent Bridge that it would be his last for England.
The England and Wales Cricket Board said: "We have a Test captain and coach, who are looking at how they set team standards and culture. "As part of this, the curfew will no longer be in place. We will ensure all players have a clear understanding of expectations when they come together for the upcoming Test series." The removal of the curfew reverses part of the behavioural guidance issued last month, which recommended no alcohol be consumed on the day immediately before, during or on the day immediately after a match; stated that if players do choose to drink in that period it should not be in public; and strongly discouraged drinking in private. Those guidelines apply only to the England senior men's teams, with other England sides having their own rules and the England women having no formal rules on alcohol.
Root will lead England into the three-Test series against Pakistan beginning at Headingley next week, with Trescothick serving as interim coach for the matches.
