England captain Joe Root has confirmed there will be no team curfew during the upcoming home Test series against Pakistan. The experienced batsman believes players who are trusted to take responsibility on the field should also be treated as grown adults off it.
Root made the comments on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast. He said the decision should not be turned into a major issue. “There’s not going to be a curfew. I don’t think this needs to be a big deal,” he explained. “If players are expected to take responsibility on the field, they should be trusted as grown adults to make good decisions off it as well. That’s something we, as a team, have to manage properly and police ourselves, alongside Stephen Fleming.”
The 35-year-old returned to the captaincy after Ben Stokes retired in June. Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson had been suspended for one Test against New Zealand after breaking a team curfew during a night out in London. Former coach Brendon McCullum also stepped down following England’s 2-1 series defeat and was replaced by Stephen Fleming.
England’s dressing room culture has faced heavy criticism over the past year. The side suffered a heavy 4-1 Ashes loss in Australia, and several off-field incidents added to the pressure. One of those involved Harry Brook in an altercation with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand. In January, ECB chief executive Richard Gould had spoken about introducing stricter rules, including a midnight curfew.
Despite the recent problems, Root is determined to take a different approach. He wants the squad to handle matters internally rather than rely on strict external rules. England currently sit seventh in the World Test Championship table and will look to improve their standing in the three-match series against Pakistan that begins on August 19.
Root, England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer, will lead the side into a new chapter alongside coach Fleming. His clear stance on trusting the players shows he wants a culture built on accountability rather than restriction as the team prepares to face Pakistan at home.
