England players barred from drinking alcohol during or after matches:ECB issues strict policy after Stokes-Atkinson nightclub controversy

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has issued new restrictions on the consumption of alcohol by their players. As part of the new policy, the players cannot drink while celebrating victories, which is a major shift from the predominant trend. Not long ago, the ECB director Rob Key hint a total ban on alcohol after Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson’s nightclub controversy made headlines in the cricket world. Both Stokes and Atkinson were dropped for one Test match subsequently. Stokes would even go on to announce his retirement from international cricket after the controversy. ECB issues new policy for alcohol consumption According to a report by The Telegraph, the ECB has introduced a new policy that imposes strict off-field protocols for its players when it comes to the consumption of alcohol. The players have been barred from consuming alcohol at all during a match or a day after it ends on every day of a home series/tour. This means that if a Test match ends on the fifth day, the restrictions will apply till the sixth day. The midnight curfew is still active and players who are not in the hotel after 10 pm must inform the management or security about the same. The new policy also states that players also are barred from appearing under the influence of alcohol on social media or posting any content related to the same. Additionally, players are not allowed to drink in public spaces unless they are approved by Key or head coach Brendon McCullum. The policy also discourages players from drinking even in private during matches to focus on ‘preparation, recovery and professionalism.’ This policy aims to “protect the players, the reputation both of cricket in England and Wales and the ECB, and to optimise player performance,” added the report. What happened in the Stokes-Atkinson nightclub controversy? Stokes and Atkinson’s nightclub controversy became a major talking point after the two breached the curfew regulations and visited a nightclub in Chelsea after their victory over New Zealand in the Lord’s Test. And during their visit, Atkinson was said to have been involved in a dispute with a Saracens academy rugby player named Totoa Auvaa, who reportedly struck ECB security James Shaw in the face, causing the latter to receive stitches. This was not the first such instance. Earlier this year, England white-ball captain Harry Brook was punched by a bouncer at a nightclub in Wellington before an ODI match against New Zealand. During the Ashes, Ben Duckett was at the centre of a controversy after a viral clip showed the England opener under the influence of alcohol in Noosa.