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England has brought in strict new rules for its players after the retirement of Ben Stokes. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has updated its alcohol policy and made it much tougher than before. Before this, ECB approves gambling sponsorships for 2026 edition of The Hundred.
The England cricket board now wants players to stay disciplined, avoid unnecessary controversies, and remain fully focused on the game throughout every series. The new rules come after several off-field incidents unfolded in the England team in recent months.
Late-night controversies force England to strict rules
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) believes that it is the right time to tighten discipline and make sure such situations do not happen again. England had already introduced a midnight curfew after their disappointing 4-1 Ashes series defeat.
During that Australia tour, there were several reports of players going out late at night and drinking, which brought heavy criticism on the team. Another major controversy happened earlier this summer after England won the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s.
The former captain Ben Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson stayed out after midnight at a club in West London. During that outing, an incident took place involving Atkinson and a young rugby player. While trying to control the situation, English security officer James Shaw was injured.
Although Ben Stokes was not directly involved in the incident, the matter made the ECB unhappy. Later, it was revealed that there was confusion about the curfew rules, and Atkinson was not fully aware of when the restrictions started.
After the incident, both Stokes and Atkinson were left out of the squad for the next Test at The Oval. They later returned for the final Test at Trent Bridge, which also became Ben Stokes’ last match before retiring from international cricket.
ECB introduces tough new Alcohol Policy
After this controversy, England’s managing director, Rob Key, discussed several ideas with the stakeholders. A complete ban on alcohol was discussed, but the ECB finally decided to make the existing policy much stricter instead of banning alcohol completely.
The new policy was shared with the players between the first and second Tests of the recent New Zealand series. It also includes some changes that were first introduced during England’s white-ball tours of Sri Lanka and India earlier this year.
As reported by The Telegraph, the midnight curfew will continue during every England men’s home series and overseas tour under the updated rules. Amid this, “Bad phase”: BCCI on India’s defeats to Ireland, England under Shreyas Iyer.
What are the new/updated rules?
Players are not allowed to appear in public if they are under the influence of alcohol. They are also not allowed to post any alcohol-related photos or videos on social media during England duties. If a player wants to stay outside the team hotel after 10 pm, he must first inform the team management or the security staff. If there is any change in his plans, that also has to be reported.
The rules become even stricter around match days. From one day before the start of a match until the end of the day after the match finishes, players are advised not to drink alcohol at all.
During this period, players cannot drink alcohol in any public place, including the public areas inside the team hotel, unless they get special permission from managing director Rob Key or head coach Brendon McCullum.
The ECB has also strongly advised players not to drink alcohol even in private during this period. The board believes players should focus on preparing for matches and recovering properly after games instead of drinking.
‘ECB wants to protect the players and the reputation’
One of the biggest changes is that players are now advised not to drink even after a match has ended. Earlier, it was common for England players to celebrate a victory or relax with a drink after the game, but the ECB now wants players to remain professional throughout the entire series.
The ECB has confirmed that if a Test match goes for all five days, these rules will remain in place until the end of the following day as well. The board says the main purpose of these new rules is to “protect the players; the reputation both of cricket in England and Wales and the ECB; and to optimize player performance.”