ECB imposes midnight curfew on England squad ahead of Sri Lanka tour and T20 World Cup 2026
England are scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20Is against Sri Lanka, starting January 22 in Colombo.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has imposed a strict midnight curfew on the England cricket team ahead of their upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka and the T20 World Cup 2026. The decision has already been communicated to England’s ODI and T20I captain Harry Brook and head coach Brendon McCullum, signalling a firm stance from the board on discipline and off-field conduct.
According to Daily Mail Sport, all England players will be required to return to their team hotel by 12 AM during their entire stay in Sri Lanka and India. The rule will remain in effect throughout the tour and the World Cup campaign, and not just on match days. Any exceptions will require prior approval, and players have been clearly warned against breaching the guidelines. The ECB is also expected to remind the squad and management of their responsibilities upon arrival in Sri Lanka.
The move comes in the wake of multiple disciplinary incidents during England’s white-ball tour of New Zealand in 2025 and the 2025-26 Ashes series, which raised serious concerns within the board. Brook was at the centre of some of these controversies.
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Although details surfaced only after England lost the Ashes series 1-4, Brook was involved in an altercation and was punched by a bouncer on the eve of the ODI against New Zealand in Wellington on November 1. Following the incident, the ECB issued a final warning to Brook and imposed a £30,000 fine.
Further criticism followed during England’s Ashes tour when the team organised a six-day mid-series break in Noosa, which many described as resembling a stag do. During this period, Ben Duckett was filmed leaving a bar late at night in an intoxicated state. England also faced backlash for staying at a casino hotel, with one incident involving Brydon Carse, who needed assistance from strangers to retrieve thousands of dollars that fell from his pocket.
England are scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20Is against Sri Lanka, starting January 22 in Colombo. They will then begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 8. England are two-time T20 World Cup champions, having lifted the trophy in 2010 and 2022.
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