The England men's cricket team has issued updated behaviour guidelines advising players to avoid drinking alcohol on the day before, during and the day after matches. The move follows a series of off-field incidents, most notably a nightclub controversy involving Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson, and is intended to remove the ambiguities around an existing midnight curfew that contributed to that episode. The changes matter because they formalise expectations on player conduct after repeated embarrassments dented the team's professional image.

The updated policy confirms the midnight curfew applies on every day of a series, at home or on tour, and recommends no alcohol before, during or immediately after a match, with the head coach and director of cricket — Brendon McCullum and Rob Key — able to relax this at their discretion for celebrations or traditions such as an end-of-series drink. The rules apply to players rather than staff, and any drinking should not take place in public; players are also strongly discouraged from drinking privately. Players must now inform management or security if they leave the hotel after 22:00, cannot appear drunk in public, and cannot post on social media about alcohol. The curfew was first introduced in January following incidents including Harry Brook being punched by a bouncer in Wellington and Ben Duckett being filmed apparently drunk during the Ashes tour.