“You know what it takes to play for England, you know what your responsibilities are off the field, and we need to make sure we don\u2019t find ourselves with any little situations off the field.”<\/p>\n
Seems the message didn’t get across to his players.<\/p>\n
“If I\u2019m being brutally honest, I\u2019m really hacked off. I\u2019m really disappointed,” Root said in a news conference on Tuesday (local time).<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s not the isolated incident itself,” Root added. “It\u2019s the fact we continually keep making stupid mistakes away from the game and it\u2019s detracting from what we\u2019re doing on the field.”<\/p>\n
And so, with England’s Cricket Regulator getting down to work investigating another off-the-field issue, it’s back to square one.<\/p>\n
Is it time for a cultural reset? In this age of sports science and ultra-professionalism, there are wider questions over whether cricketers should have a beer after a match. Or do players just need to be a bit smarter?<\/p>\n
“Just have some kind of brain cells amongst you, seeing what\u2019s just gone on,” former England captain Alastair Cook said on the Stick to Cricket podcast released Tuesday. “Surely someone says either don\u2019t go to that place, or at 12am or 1am say, ‘Let\u2019s go and find ourselves somewhere quieter if we want to carry on.”<\/p>\n
Here’s a look at the late-night incidents that have brought shame on English cricket:<\/p>\n
Brook hit by a bouncer<\/p>\n
![\"England's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/englands-captain-harry-brookplays-a-shot-during-the-second-t-PCD3V6OATFECTILA2OERJWTOWM.jpg\")
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England’s captain Harry Brook,plays a shot during the second T20 cricket match between England and India in Manchester, England, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (Source: Associated Press)<\/p>\n
Before going to Australia for what proved a humiliating Ashes series, England travelled to New Zealand in October for a white-ball tour.<\/p>\n
A day before the third and final one-day international, team captain Harry Brook was hit by a bouncer after being denied entry to a club in Wellington. Teammates Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue also were present on the night out.<\/p>\n
Brook was fined about 30,000 pounds (NZ$68,500) at the time and given a final warning about his future conduct \u2014 sanctions not made public until months later, after the Ashes series that England lost 4-1.<\/p>\n
“I want to apologise for my actions,” Brook said. “I fully accept that my behaviour was wrong and brought embarrassment to both myself and the England team.”<\/p>\n
Disorientated Duckett’s night out in Noosa<\/p>\n
![\"England's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/englands-ben-duckett-leaves-the-pitch-after-losing-his-wicke-HXOLTJWKPJAVRHFYLL46BRT22I.jpg\")
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England’s Ben Duckett leaves the pitch after losing his wicket during the first day of the test match between England and New Zealand at Lord’s cricket ground in London, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (Source: Associated Press)<\/p>\n
Between the second and third tests in the Ashes series against Australia in December, England visited the resort town of Noosa on the Sunshine Coast for some downtime in the midst of a long tour.<\/p>\n
While there, footage was taken of England opening batter Ben Duckett looking disorientated as he talked to a group of people on a night out and saying he was unable to remember how to get back to his hotel.<\/p>\n
“I am sorry for that incident, it was not professional and shouldn\u2019t have happened,” Duckett later said. “There is no hiding away from it.”<\/p>\n
Rob Key, England managing director of men\u2019s cricket, said he would investigate the drinking habits of the England team.<\/p>\n
Stokes’ post-Lord’s night out leads to retirement<\/p>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/englands-captain-ben-stokes-walks-onto-the-field-before-the-E4PH56KTYBAKRHV6UKOTUUJAZI.jpg\")
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England’s captain Ben Stokes walks onto the field before the start of play on the fourth day of the Test match between England and New Zealand at Lord’s cricket ground in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (Source: Associated Press)<\/p>\n
Chastened by the Ashes hammering in the winter, England began its so-called “reset” with a home series against New Zealand in June.<\/p>\n
After winning the first test, Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson continued their post-match celebrations at Lord’s by going on a night out in London, during which a member of England\u2019s security staff was reportedly struck by a rugby player from English club Saracens.<\/p>\n
The fallout was huge: Stokes and Atkinson were left out of the second test amid an investigation that ultimately found that no “regulatory breach” had occurred. Stokes then returned for the third match, only to announce his retirement from international cricket midway through it, saying the past few months had “taken its toll”. <\/p>\n
![\"England's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/englands-brydon-carse-appeals-unsuccessfully-for-the-wicket-U6V5A6CYNVHRLDSMDDCS6Z2APA.jpg\")
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