The England Cricket Board (ECB) is reportedly poised to bring back a strict player curfew following a disastrous Ashes tour in Australia, marred by a heavy series loss and a series of off-field incidents centred around the team's drinking habits.
Ashes Nightmare and Noosa 'Stag-Do'
What began as a hopeful campaign for the England cricket team in Australia swiftly descended into a familiar Ashes nightmare, culminating in a 4-1 series defeat. However, the losses on the field were matched by significant scrutiny of the players' behaviour off it. A particular low point was a post-match trip to Noosa after the second Test, which the BBC described as a 'glorified stag-do' featuring six consecutive days of drinking, despite the team being 2-0 down in the series.
Videos surfaced showing opener Ben Duckett in a disoriented state outside a resort, with the touring party making little effort to conceal their activities. Further reports emerged of substantial drinking in Perth following a two-day Test match, with players reportedly gambling in 'well-oiled' conditions.
Brook Incident Sparks Fresh Scrutiny
The off-field issues reached a new peak just hours after the Ashes series loss was confirmed. It was revealed that white-ball captain and Test vice-captain Harry Brook was denied entry to a nightclub the night before a One-Day International in November and subsequently got into an altercation with a bouncer.
Brook was fined £30,000 and issued a public apology. With a critical seven-week tour of Sri Lanka and India looming, which includes the T20 World Cup that Brook is set to captain, the pressure for the ECB to act has intensified.
Curfew on the Cards as ECB Launches Review
The England Cricket Board has already initiated a comprehensive review into the Ashes campaign, focusing on planning and individual conduct. As part of this probe, the reinstatement of a team curfew is now strongly considered until the investigation concludes.
This would mark a return to a policy previously enforced by former managing director Andrew Strauss. He introduced a midnight curfew ahead of the 2017-18 Ashes following incidents involving Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes. The curfew was later scrapped by Test captain Stokes in 2022, aligning with coach Brendon McCullum's more relaxed management philosophy.
McCullum has publicly rejected claims of a problematic drinking culture within the England setup. He has even suggested that 'maybe there is someone better' to lead the team if excessive constraints are imposed. Despite this, the weight of recent events appears to be pushing the ECB towards stricter measures as they aim to reset team discipline ahead of a crucial World Cup year.
