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New Delhi: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is reportedly considering imposing a strict curfew for players after concerns over the team's culture, following a series of off-field incidents during England’s Ashes tour of Australia.
The reports of curfew emerged following England's 4-1 Ashes defeat against Australia and ahead of a busy subcontinent tour. The focus on discipline comes after several players were reportedly involved in heavy drinking between the second and third Ashes Tests in Noosa.
Earlier, batter Harry Brook was also involved in an altercation with a bouncer in New Zealand before the Ashes warm-up games. Brook, who is also England's ODI captain, was later fined £30,000 over the incident.
According to The Times, the ECB is discussing imposing a curfew on players ahead of England’s upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka and the 2026 T20 World Cup, which starts from February 7 to March 8 in India and Sri Lanka. The ECB officials are keen to ensure that there is no repeat of these incidents, which overshadowed the Ashes campaign.
Australia won the Ashes in just 11 days of cricket. In the gap between the second and third Test, reports emerged that some of England's players spent six days drinking. The incident sparked massive debate about professional standards within the England team and prompted calls for a comprehensive review of player conduct.
Earlier, the ECB had imposed curfews during the 2017–18 Ashes series following the incident between Jonny Bairstow and Cameron Bancroft, and again after Ben Stokes' Bristol nightclub brawl. He then himself removed curfews after becoming captain of the team in 2022.
England will play three ODIs and three T20I matches against Sri Lanka, which will begin from January 22 to February 3, before starting their 2026 T20 World Cup campaign against Nepal on February 8 in Mumbai.
