Former England pacer Stuart Broad has said that the English team does not have a drinking culture. According to him, alcohol is not a regular or serious issue within the team. However, he did mention that players should have avoided situations that made them look bad in public.
Following England’s loss in the fifth Test in Sydney, Harry Brook issued an apology after reports surfaced about an incident involving a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand. The incident resulted in Brook, who is England’s white-ball captain, being fined £30,000.
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Reports also mentioned that several England players were seen drinking during the team’s mid-series break in Noosa. Among them was Ben Duckett, who appeared unsteady and was seen struggling to find his way after a night out.
These incidents have led to discussions within England’s management about tightening team discipline. One option being considered is reintroducing a midnight curfew for the team starting with the tour of Sri Lanka next week.
Broad Warns Against Curfews After England Off-Field Incidents
Speaking on The Love of Cricket podcast, Stuart Broad said reintroducing strict curfews could be counterproductive, despite recent off-field incidents involving England players. Broad stressed that the issue involved a few individual mistakes rather than a broader cultural problem and cautioned against overreacting due to media attention.
“They’ve just had a couple of guys who have made mistakes and that’s got into the media,” Broad said. “I think it’s up to your team-mates to get you out of those situations, and that’s when your culture’s really strong,” Broad said.
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Broad said strong team culture should prevent such situations in the first place, with players looking out for one another. He pointed to recent incidents involving Ben Duckett and Harry Brook, suggesting they could have been avoided if teammates had stepped in earlier.
“Ben Duckett isn’t left alone, no idea where his hotel is. Harry Brook doesn’t get himself in a situation with a bouncer, because they’re not allowed anywhere near that situation. So I think that’s the thing that will disappoint Baz [head coach Brendon McCullum].
“I really didn’t like having a 12 o’clock curfew, because I just didn’t feel like you should need it. As long as you have people around you to get yourself home at a suitable hour, having the team-mates around you to go,’ your time’s up’.”
England’s tour of Sri Lanka begins on January 22
After a rough outing in the Ashes, England’s white-ball team will travel to Sri Lanka to play a three-match ODI and T20I series, respectively. The ODI series will start on January 22 and will conclude on January 27. Following this, the T20I series will run from January 30 to February 3.
England will travel to India after this to begin their campaign in the T20 World Cup 2026. They are in Group C with Nepal, the West Indies, Bangladesh, and Italy. The Harry Brook-led side will start their campaign against Nepal on February 8 at the Wankhede Stadium.
