Joe Root has abolished the midnight curfew for his England Test side, telling his players to “be adults” after a string of late-night incidents.
A curfew was imposed on the England men’s teams after their Ashes defeat in the winter, when the on-field action was overshadowed by players’ behaviour off it. Most notably, there was Harry Brook’s altercation with a nightclub bouncer on the eve of a one-day international in Wellington, with the batter admitting he was fortunate to keep his position as white-ball captain.
Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were suspended for the second Test against New Zealand in June after breaking the curfew while celebrating victory in the series opener. Stokes returned for the series closer before announcing his retirement from international cricket, prompting the return of Root as Test captain.
The Yorkshireman will lead next week against Pakistan, and is embarking on a new era with Stephen Fleming as red-ball head coach. The 35-year-old told the Sky Sports Cricket podcast that the curfew has been abolished, arguing: “I don’t think they work.” It is understood the relaxing of rules also applies to the white-ball sides.
“There’s not going to be a curfew,” Root said. “I don’t think this needs to be a big deal. 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.
“That’s for us as a team to manage well, and self-police well, for me and [Fleming]. Ultimately, you’re grown adults. You know what it takes to play for England. You know what your responsibilities are off the field.
“ We should be known for how we play our cricket and what we do on the field. We should be on the back page of papers.
“Look after yourselves, look after each other, create a good, strong culture where you know when the right time is to celebrate and enjoy a win or to have a sensible beer, and remember you’re playing for England.
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“I don’t want people to feel like they can’t enjoy winning a Test match. If they want to have a beer at the right time, go and let their hair down, then that’s absolutely fine. You know what your responsibilities are. Be smart, be sensible and just be an adult about it.”