England announce ‘BAN’ on unprofessional player activities after Harry Brook row, Ashes humiliation

The England and Wales cricket Board (ECB) is considering tough disciplinary action following the team’s disappointing outings during the 2025-26 Ashes series. According to a report in The Times, the ECB is now discussing the idea of ​​imposing a curfew on players during the Sri Lanka tour and the T20 World Cup.

The ECB have launched an internal review following the Ashes defeat, with concerns about the team’s culture ahead of a seven-week tour of the Indian subcontinent. There were reports of heavy drinking in Noosa midway through the series, along with Harry Brock being involved in an altercation with a bouncer in New Zealand.

The European Central Bank is considering a curfew as unrest continues outside the stadium in England

The European Central Bank moves to tighten discipline after reviewing concerns about team culture. According to The Times, the board has already started making changes ahead of England’s white-ball series against Sri Lanka and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

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“According to a source, changes have already been made regarding the team culture for the white-ball series against Sri Lanka and the T20 World Cup to be played in Sri Lanka and India,” the Times reported.

England lost the Ashes within 11 days. Reports later revealed that between the second and third Tests in Brisbane, members of the touring squad spent up to six days drinking, with the episode being compared to a “stag”. The ECB is now considering more stringent measures to maintain better control of the team environment.

England’s off-field incidents put the team’s culture in the spotlight

England’s off-field issues continued to attract attention during and after the Ashes. Ben Duckett was seen in a widely circulated video from Noosa, appearing to be extremely intoxicated, raising concerns about player behavior on tour.

After the Ashes ended, The Telegraph reported another incident involving Harry Brooke. The England white-ball captain was involved in a heated altercation with a bouncer after being banned from entering a nightclub in New Zealand. He was later fined £30,000 (AU$60,000) over the incident.

The idea of ​​imposing a curfew on players is not new to England. A similar rule was introduced during the 2017-18 Ashes season following a clash involving Jonny Bairstow and Cameron Bancroft, along with a Ben Stokes brawl in a Bristol nightclub.

Stokes later removed the curfew in 2022 after taking over as captain, alongside the appointment of Brendon McCullum as head coach. Pressure is now mounting on England’s test setting, with growing voices calling for big changes.

England prepare for tour of Sri Lanka ahead of T20 World Cup campaign

England will tour Sri Lanka next for the white-ball series. The team will play three ODIs and three T20Is between January 22 and February 3, and is scheduled to leave the team on January 18. Notably, the ODI series will begin on January 22, followed by the T20Is from January 30.

After the tour of Sri Lanka, England will shift their focus to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. They were placed in Group C along with Bangladesh, West Indies, Nepal and Italy. The two-time champions will open their tournament campaign on February 8 against Nepal at Wankhede Stadium.

England will be looking to improve on their previous run after their semi-final exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup, where they lost to India by 68 runs in Guyana.

Read also: Harry Brook is in trouble! Australia’s World Cup-winning captain is demanding tough punishment over a nightclub brawl