Joe Root has scrapped the midnight curfew that governed England's Test squad, telling his players to take personal responsibility off the field as he returns to lead the side against Pakistan next week. Speaking to Sky Sports Cricket on 12 August 2026, the returning captain said the rule, imposed after a string of late-night incidents involving senior players, had failed to change behaviour and was being replaced with an expectation that the squad manage itself, according to a national newspaper's report.
The curfew had been brought in following England's Ashes defeat over the winter, a series in which off-field conduct overshadowed results on the pitch. That period included an incident involving a batter on the eve of a one-day international in Wellington, after which he admitted he was fortunate to retain the white-ball captaincy.
Why did the curfew rule come under scrutiny again?
The issue resurfaced this summer when Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were suspended for the second Test against New Zealand after breaching curfew during the series opener. The breach followed a win over New Zealand at Lord's, when Stokes was out past midnight at a London nightclub during an incident in which a member of England's security staff was punched by a Saracens rugby player; both players were later cleared of wrongdoing. In the aftermath, director of cricket Rob Key considered imposing a total alcohol ban on the squad, while then-Test coach Brendon McCullum admitted there had been "ambiguity" around how the curfew was communicated to players.
Stokes returned for the final Test of that series before announcing his retirement from international cricket midway through the match at Trent Bridge, a decision that paved the way for Root's reinstatement as Test captain. Root has since reflected publicly on Stokes' absence and the team's recent conduct, while Stokes himself later apologised to teammates over the breach and defended Root against criticism.
What exactly did Root say?
Speaking on the Sky Sports podcast, the 35-year-old confirmed the rule was gone and explained his reasoning for scrapping it as he begins a new era alongside red-ball head coach Stephen Fleming.
"There's not going to be a curfew. I don't think this needs to be a big deal, to be honest," said Root. "My view on curfews is 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.
"That's for us as a team to manage well, and self-police well, for me and [Fleming] to manage well. 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.
"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, and remember you're playing for England.
"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're human beings at the end of the day. You know what your responsibilities are. Be smart, be sensible, and just be an adult about it."
The England and Wales Cricket Board issued its own statement backing the change: "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."
How did the curfew originate on the white-ball side?
The rule was first imposed on England's white-ball squad in January 2026 for the tour of Sri Lanka and the T20 World Cup that followed, after Harry Brook was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington and opener Ben Duckett was filmed, apparently drunk, during England's mid-Ashes holiday in Noosa. The restriction was then carried into the home Test summer, though confusion persisted over how the terms were communicated to players.
Does the change extend beyond the Test side?
Yes. According to the national broadcaster's report, the midnight curfew has also been lifted for the white-ball team, even though Brendon McCullum and Harry Brook remain in charge of the limited-overs sides as coach and captain respectively. Fleming, meanwhile, will not be in place for the Pakistan series itself, with Marcus Trescothick acting as interim coach for the three Tests. The ECB has issued a statement backing the wider change, saying Root and Fleming will set the team's standards and that players will be told what is expected of them when the squad reconvenes.
How does this compare with the rules introduced in July?
The decision represents a partial reversal of behavioural guidelines released in July 2026, which had recommended no alcohol be consumed on the day before, during, or the day after a match, according to the same broadcaster. Separate guidance from that period, reported by the broadcaster's cricket coverage, had also required players to inform team management if they left the hotel after 22:00, barred them from appearing intoxicated in public, and discouraged posting alcohol-related content on social media. According to a cricket analytics site, those July guidelines specifically required players to be back at their hotel by midnight, avoid appearing visibly intoxicated in public, and notify management if they left after 10pm; the ECB has said it now wants the captain and head coach, rather than a formal written restriction, to set and enforce team standards.
The second source's coverage adds that the guidelines apply only to the England senior men's teams, with the women, Lions and age-group sides operating under their own separate rules; England women do not have formal alcohol regulations.
What is the historical background to the curfew?
The concept of a curfew for England's squads dates back further still. It was first introduced following drinking incidents on the 2017-18 Ashes tour during Root's first spell as Test captain, later scrapped when Stokes took over the role in 2022, and then reintroduced earlier in 2026 before now being lifted again. Mark Ramprakash previously discussed Stokes' leadership through the curfew breach, describing him as an inspirational captain despite the episode, while also touching on the ECB's response and concerns over pitch quality in the Test format.
What has the reaction been?
Stokes denied last week that the England team has a specific problem with alcohol, but said instead that "cricket has a drinking culture and that has not changed." Commentary accompanying the second source's report has questioned why the rule has been introduced, broken, argued over, clarified and scrapped within a single year, and has raised doubts over the consistency of lifting the curfew for the white-ball side despite no change in that team's leadership under McCullum and Brook.
What happens next?
Root's first match back in charge comes at Headingley against Pakistan next week, marking the formal start of the Root-Fleming era in red-ball cricket, though Trescothick rather than Fleming will oversee the dugout for that series. The ECB has indicated that players will be given a clear outline of expectations when the squad assembles, suggesting the new, less prescriptive approach will take effect immediately rather than being phased in.
- Root has abolished the midnight curfew for England's Test squad, telling players to "be adults" in managing their own conduct.
- The change also applies to the white-ball setup, though McCullum and Brook remain in charge of those sides.
- It partially reverses July 2026 guidelines that had recommended no alcohol around match days and required players to log late-night movements.
- Stokes and Atkinson were suspended for a Test against New Zealand this year after breaching the previous curfew, an incident during which Rob Key considered a total alcohol ban.
- Root leads England against Pakistan at Headingley next week in his first match back as Test captain, with Marcus Trescothick as interim coach ahead of Stephen Fleming's full-time arrival.
