In a series of big developments, Joe Root has made a significant change to England's off-field regulations soon after getting reappointed as Test captain, scrapping the squad's midnight curfew. Justifying his decision on Wednesday, August 12, Root noted that the players must be trusted to be ethical while being away from the game.
Why was the Night Curfew introduced?
England introduced the midnight curfew last year after a number of off-field controversies involving senior players during bilateral series. The restrictions came after Harry Brook and Ben Duckett were spotted drinking late at pubs or wandering the streets at night.
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The team also tightened its rules around players going out, with some outings requiring advance approval or the presence of security personnel.
“There’s not going to be a curfew. I don’t think this needs to be a big deal, to be honest. 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. And that’s for us as a team to manage well, and self-policing well, for me and Flem (new coach Stephen Fleming) to manage well in many ways," said Root.
Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson saga
The controversy surrounding England's curfew policy came under serious lights after former captain Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were involved in a late-night confrontation with a rugby player at a nightclub while celebrating a win against New Zealand.
Although some players of the squad claimed they were unclear about the restrictions in place, Stokes and Atkinson were initially suspended for breaching team protocols. The episode was followed by Stokes bringing an end to his international career after the third Test.