Joe Root has abolished England's midnight curfew in his first major decision since returning to the Test captaincy, arguing that such restrictions simply do not work. Root has reclaimed the leadership role he previously relinquished in 2022, taking over after Ben Stokes retired from all international cricket at the conclusion of the New Zealand series earlier this summer.
The curfew issue came to a head following the first Test at Lord's, which indirectly triggered Stokes' departure. After England's victory, Stokes and bowler Gus Atkinson stayed out past midnight and ended up at a Chelsea nightclub, where Atkinson was assaulted by a Saracens Academy rugby player. Although both players were suspended for the second Test, confusion surrounded the rule. Atkinson informed managing director Rob Key that he was unaware a curfew was even in place, prompting Key to immediately tighten the protocol.
The curfew had originally been implemented following an unprofessional winter. The final straw occurred when Test vice-captain and white-ball skipper Harry Brook was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington, New Zealand, on the eve of the final match of a white-ball tour preceding the Ashes.
Now, Root has decided to scrap the curfew entirely. Working alongside new Test head coach Stephen Fleming, who took over after Brendon McCullum was stood down, Root is spearheading a clear regime change. The new captain believes the transition should be straightforward if players behave like adults and respect the responsibilities of representing their country.
"My view on curfews is I don't think they work," Root said. "And if you want guys to take responsibility on the field, they've got to feel like they can be grown adults and make good, strong decisions off it. 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. But ultimately grown adults—you know what it takes to play for England. You know what your responsibilities are off the field."
Root emphasized that the team's focus should remain on their performance. "We should be known for how we play our cricket and what we do on the field. And we should be on the back page of papers and people reading about that sort of stuff," he added. "So as much as I've got to say on it, that's be adults, 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 or whatever. And remember you're playing for England."
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the decision in a statement on Wednesday, noting that the curfew removal will also apply to the white-ball squads overseen by McCullum and Brook. "We have a Test captain and coach, who are looking at how they set team standards and culture," the ECB stated. "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."
McCullum had previously relaxed England's updated drinking rules at the first opportunity after his team wrapped up a 4-0 T20I series victory over India last month, shortly after learning he was being replaced as red-ball coach.
This is not the first time Root has dealt with team curfews. He was captain when an official curfew was first introduced by then-managing director Andrew Strauss during the 2017-18 Ashes tour. That restriction was established after Jonny Bairstow was wrongly accused of headbutting Australian opener Cameron Bancroft in a Perth nightclub. The team environment during that tour was already highly tense, as Stokes was absent following his involvement in a street fight in Bristol earlier that year, an incident for which he was cleared of affray the following summer.
England is scheduled to play their first Test against Pakistan at Headingley on August 19. Ahead of the series, three players from the 16-man squad—Shoaib Bashir, Emilio Gay, and Matt Fisher—are set to play against the tourists in a three-day warm-up match starting this Thursday.
