Joe Root Gets Massive England Rule Removed From Ben Stokes' Era

Joe Root makes rule changes after replacing Ben Stokes [Source: AFP]

Just a week ahead of Joe Root’s full-time return to full-time Test captaincy, the reinstated skipper is swiftly working to get the England side back on track. Alongside the new coach Stephen Fleming, Root has made a massive change to the disciplinary rules for the squad members, as a sign of stamping his authority as their new captain.

Root was made a stand-in captain for the second Test against New Zealand earlier in the summer, but with Ben Stokes’ retirement, he will once again be their full-time skipper for the first time since 2022.

Joe Root Removes Night Curfew Imposed During Stokes Era

One of the notable rules for England’s men’s team during the Stokes and McCullum era was the night curfew during the ongoing series. This was also a part of behaviour guidelines outlined by the ECB earlier in July and was signed by ECB managing director Rob Key.

This meant the players must not be under the influence of alcohol in public. Additionally, they have to inform management if they are out of the team hotel by 10 pm. However, with Root taking charge, he believes the players must act like responsible adults and decided against keeping any midnight curfew.

“There's not going to be a curfew. I don't think this needs to be a big deal, to be honest. My view on the curfew is that the players are doing their work, and if you want guys to take responsibility on the field, they've got to feel like they can be grown adults and make good, strong decisions off it,” Joe Root told Sky Sports Cricket.

“Be adults, look after yourselves, look after each other. Create a good, strong culture where you know when the right time is to celebrate and enjoy a win or to have a sensible beer, but remember - you've got to play for England,” he added.

Root further noted that he did not want to act like a spoilsport after the team wins a Test and players want to have a drink. For Root, it is fine to enjoy the time off the field, given they know their responsibilities and just be adults.

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Why Did England Have A Night Curfew Under Ben Stokes?

Right from the time of the New Zealand tour late in 2025, England’s important players have been in some avoidable situations.

In November, just on the brink of the Ashes series, Harry Brook had a late-night altercation in a nightclub in Wellington, where he fought with the bouncer. ECB later fined him £30,000, and it could have also played a part in Joe Root being given the captaincy, despite Brook being the vice-captain at the time of Stokes’ retirement.

Later during the English summer, after England defeated New Zealand in the first Test at Lord’s, captain Ben Stokes and pace Gus Atkinson were involved in a nightclub fight.

This created a major stir in England and led to a one-match suspension for both Stokes and Atkinson. Stokes eventually retired from international cricket at the end of the series.

Will Joe Root's contrasting leadership style affect England?

The removal of the midnight curfew for the players from the Ben Stokes era is a huge change made by Joe Root. This shows his easy-going style of captaincy. 

Root is a seasoned captain, who has had a topsy-turvy past, with a captaincy record of 27 wins, 27 losses, and 11 draws in 65 matches. This move will have its pros and cons — either he will get the team to rally behind him for being easy-going or his record could worsen due to disciplinary issues.

Stokes was a bit authoritative and demanding as a leader, which also worked during his stint, but similar cannot be expected from other captains.

There were nightclub incidents despite the curfew, and Root asking players to be responsible for themselves could be a good wake-up call for everyone in the team, and England could get back to the winning ways.

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