ECB Considers Player Curfew After Off-Field Issues During England’s Ashes Tour

The ECB reviewed England’s team culture and weighed strict curfews after reports of off-field indiscipline during the Ashes defeat in Australia.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is considering enforcing a strict curfew for players following concerns over binge drinking and off-field behaviour during England’s disastrous Ashes tour of Australia.

According to The Times, the proposal is being discussed ahead of England’s upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka and the T20 World Cup, which runs from February 7 to March 8 in India and Sri Lanka. England’s 4–1 Ashes defeat has triggered a full internal review, with team culture now firmly under scrutiny.

Reports from Australia painted a worrying picture of England’s campaign off the field. The tour was overshadowed by stories of heavy drinking, frequent casino visits, and a general lack of discipline away from cricket. One particularly damaging claim alleged that between the second and third Tests in Brisbane, members of the touring party spent six days drinking, in scenes described as resembling a “stag do.”

A separate report by The Telegraph added to the concerns, revealing that the England squad stayed at Crown Towers, a luxury hotel located within a major casino complex. Players were reportedly seen regularly at gaming tables and bars, all in full public view of fans and other guests.

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The issues reportedly began even before the Ashes. England’s white-ball tour of New Zealand was cited as the period when unhealthy habits started forming, with discipline said to be slipping well before Ben Stokes arrived in Australia. The situation worsened after news emerged that ODI captain Harry Brook had been involved in an altercation just weeks before the Ashes began.

The ECB is now discussing stricter controls, including curfews and tighter supervision, as part of a broader cultural reset. Such measures would not be new. Curfews were enforced during the 2017–18 Ashes following the Jonny Bairstow–Cameron Bancroft incident and were reintroduced after Stokes’ Bristol nightclub brawl. Ironically, Stokes removed curfews after becoming captain in 2022.

England are scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20Is in Sri Lanka from January 22 to February 3, before starting their T20 World Cup campaign on February 8 against Nepal in Mumbai, potentially under much stricter rules.