ENGLAND SET FOR DRY RUN
Root’s boys to lay off the booze
® from RODNEY WHITE
ENGLAND’S cricketers have agreed to a selfimposed booze ban.
Joe Root’s squad are anxious to avoid the sort of problems that have seen Ben Stokes miss the Ashes tour.
Stokes is the subject of a police investigation into his alleged involvement in a latenight brawl in Bristol during the West Indies one-day series.
Furthermore, the England hierarchy are unhappy that several players not involved in the incident were on a night out midway through a major series.
Code
Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball and Liam Plunkett were fined and given written warnings for unprofessional conduct following an ECB investigation.
As a result, skipper Root and his squad came up with a code of conduct, in a meeting with England director of cricket Andrew Strauss, before they left for Australia.
They have agreed to lay off alcohol three days before any match with a zero-tolerance policy on late-night drinking when they have downtime.
They must also inform England’s security personnel of their whereabouts on evenings away from the team hotel.
England coach Trevor Bayliss will allow the players to police themselves, rather than impose rules. He said: “The players sat down, had a bit of a chat and came up with a few small rules and regulations, and a belief or agreement among themselves that they will be doing the right thing and looking after themselves.
“There will be times when they are able to go out and have a few beers. It was just making sure in the two or three days before a game we are back in good time, not out late. That should just be the norm anyway.
“It’s a long tour, you can’t be cooped up in a hotel room for four months. It’s a case of being sensible and professional, that doesn’t change with set rules in place or not.
“Whatever rules and regs you have there’s a bit of a wake-up call. We would have preferred it not to be such a big wake-up call.”
Bayliss acknowledges there is little chance of Stokes being involved in the five-Test series against Australia.
The coach has confirmed the all-rounder’s place will be taken by a bowler – new boy Craig Overton, Steve Finn or Jake Ball, with 23-year-old Somerset quickie Overton the current favourite. It will also mean Bairstow and Moeen Ali being moved up the batting order to six and seven respectively.
“Having to replace Ben and the combination that we come up with requires doing a bit of both,” added Bayliss.
“I think we have to play a bowler in his place, which makes our batting not quite as long, but when you have Chris Woakes at No.8, that’s probably the combination I’ve been after for a while.
“Moeen Ali batting as low as eight for the last couple of years... I think that’s a waste.”