England's cricket squad will operate under a strict midnight curfew throughout the remainder of the winter tour, following a series of disciplinary problems during the recent Ashes campaign and New Zealand series.
The players, led by Harry Brook, were scheduled to depart London for Colombo on Sunday ahead of white-ball fixtures against Sri Lanka and February's Twenty20 World Cup.
Whilst no official behavioural guidelines will be formally issued, the squad will receive reminders about their obligations as representatives of English cricket upon landing in Sri Lanka, according to the Daily Mail.
The new restriction requires all players to return to their team accommodation before midnight each evening, unless prior arrangements have been made with management.
The disciplinary measures follow numerous alcohol-related incidents that marred England's dismal performances in Australasia, where they suffered a 3-0 one-day series defeat to New Zealand and a comprehensive 4-1 Test series loss in Australia over seven weeks.
During a six-day break in Noosa midway through the Ashes, witnesses likened the atmosphere to a stag celebration.
England's cricket squad will operate under a strict midnight curfew throughout the remainder of the winter tour, following a series of disciplinary problems during the recent Ashes campaign and New Zealand series
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Video footage subsequently emerged showing Ben Duckett in an intoxicated state, appearing confused about his location and destination late at night.
Further concerns arose during the Perth leg of the tour, where reports indicated significant drinking among squad members whilst staying at a casino hotel complex.
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Ben Duckett was caught on camera slurring his words during the Ashes series | XThe most serious incident involved Brook himself, who received the maximum fine of £30,000 following a confrontation with a nightclub doorman in Wellington, just hours before England's third and final ODI defeat to the Black Caps.
The altercation came perilously close to costing the Yorkshire batsman his white-ball captaincy.
Brook reported the incident to team management himself, though other players who were present at the scene remained unnamed.
Images circulating on social media showed a group of England cricketers at a rooftop bar, adding to the growing concerns about squad discipline during the troubled tour.
Harry Brook clashed with a bouncer in a nightclub last year
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The reintroduction of curfew restrictions marks a reversal of policy established when Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum assumed control of the Test setup four years ago.
The pair had abolished the previous curfew, believing senior professionals should be trusted to manage their own affairs.
That earlier restriction had been implemented by Andrew Strauss, Rob Key's predecessor as managing director, following an alleged head-butt incident involving Jonny Bairstow and Australia's Cameron Bancroft ahead of the 2017-18 Ashes series.
England's leadership must now strike a delicate balance, avoiding the oppressive atmosphere that characterised Covid-era tours whilst pursuing an unlikely fourth global title in early March.