England Test captain Joe Root has abolished the midnight curfew for his team, instructing players to "be adults" after a series of late-night incidents. Root, who has returned as Test captain, stated on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast that he does not believe curfews are effective.
A curfew was introduced for England men's teams following their Ashes defeat in the winter, when off-field behaviour overshadowed play. This included Harry Brook's altercation with a nightclub bouncer before a one-day international in Wellington. Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were also suspended for a Test against New Zealand this summer for breaking the curfew.
Root will lead the team against Pakistan next week, marking a new era with Stephen Fleming as red-ball head coach. The relaxing of rules is also understood to apply to Brendon McCullum's and Harry Brook's white-ball sides.