Joe Root Abolishes Midnight Curfew for England Cricket Teams

New England Test captain Joe Root has abolished the midnight curfew previously imposed on the national team. Root, who returns to the captaincy ahead of a series against Pakistan at Headingley, told players to be adults and argued that such curfews do not work. He stated that players must feel they can be grown adults off the field to take responsibility on it. The decision to scrap the curfew also applies to the white ball team led by captain Harry Brook and coach Brendon McCullum.

The curfew was originally introduced following several late night incidents. These included an altercation involving Harry Brook and a nightclub bouncer in Wellington, as well as footage of Ben Duckett appearing drunk during a holiday in Noosa. More recently, Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson broke the curfew while celebrating a victory over New Zealand in London. Both players missed the second Test against the Black Caps while the incident was investigated. Stokes eventually announced his retirement from international cricket during the third Test of that series.

Root will lead the team alongside new red ball head coach Stephen Fleming, although Marcus Trescothick will serve as interim coach for the three matches against Pakistan. The England and Wales Cricket Board issued a statement noting that the captain and coach are reviewing team standards and culture. Root emphasized that the team should be known for its cricket and should appear on the back pages of newspapers for sporting achievements rather than off field behavior.