The press conference of the England cricket captain two days out from the start of a Test match against Pakistan doesn’t normally garner huge interest: perhaps a spot of team news, early analysis of the pitch, a chat about the weather. But as Joe Root walked into the ECB offices at Lord’s on Tuesday afternoon, trailed by a couple of scampering press officers, he was met by a room teeming with reporters and TV cameras.
He knew what was coming, and didn’t hold back. “If I’m being brutally honest, I’m really hacked off,” Root began. His return to the England captaincy had begun with one of their most dominant victories in years, beating Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley. But the line of questioning here was almost exclusively about the video which surfaced on Sunday showing bowler Brydon Carse handcuffed by police, the latest in a string of drunken incidents that suggest England might have a problem.
“I’m really disappointed that after last week’s performance, we’re sat here talking about something not related to it at all,” Root said. He had spoken to Carse, who was “very upset, very apologetic, and understands his actions. It’s not the isolated incident itself, it’s the fact that we continually keep making stupid mistakes away from the game, and it’s detracting from what we’re doing on the field.”
Had he spoken to former England captain Ben Stokes, Carse’s Durham teammate, who was also on the night out in question? Root had, “but mainly out of concern for Carsey”. Had he spoken to England’s incoming head coach, Stephen Fleming? “Me and Stephen have been in constant communication,” he replied.
What had he told the other players? “There are certain things that I do believe should stay in a dressing room – it’s a sacred place. But don’t worry, they are very clear of what what is expected of them.”
When a Pakistani journalist interrupted the barrage to ask Root a “cricket question”, Root replied: “Thank you,” with a broad smile. Root couldn’t confirm the team but it may be the same XI who won at Headingley. The pitch looks OK, considering how poor it was the last time Lord’s hosted a Test match. There could be some rain about. Now, back to Carse…
It is the fourth daft incident involving England players in the past 10 months, an impressive run by any measure, and England take large measures, apparently. Harry Brook was punched by a bouncer in Wellington, Ben Duckett got blind drunk during an Ashes series, Gus Atkinson was involved when a member of England’s security staff was thumped in London, and now this. Can everyone stop getting shots?
Carse in handcuffs is probably my favourite, on balance, partly because police described him as being “de-arrested” after he agreed to leave the area, and partly because if you watch the footage closely, you can see the left half of Ben Stokes in the background, failing to hide behind a pillar.
There is an argument that most of these incidents are much ado about nothing. No single misdemeanour is particularly damning. No one was sent to the cells, no one ended up in court. The Cricket Regulator warned Brook and Jacob Bethell over the Wellington fracas. It deemed Atkinson had not breached any regulations. Carse is still being investigated.
And, as Root acknowledged, England players are probably being targeted at this point. Carse reportedly had a drink poured over him. They are an awkward level of fame, not quite well-known enough to prevent them going out entirely, like the England football team, but recognisable enough to be bothered by young men who’ve had a few drinks, particularly the 6ft-plenty bowlers like Carse, Atkinson and Stokes.
Yet add it all together and there is clearly an issue that needs addressing, one of public behaviour and of personal judgement. Most people can go out for a few drinks without getting punched by bouncers or shackled by police at 3am. It is not good enough to blame a deeply ingrained drinking culture which flows from the village team to the County Championship, because that culture can and should be separated at the elite end of professional sport. England’s environment is less “high performance” and more Clapham High Street.
“If we don’t put ourselves in certain situations, it’s not something that we have to worry about,” Root said. “Clearly the landscape is very different now, where [cameras are] more readily available for everyone, and not every picture tells the truth. But at the same time, it’s understanding what impact that could have … this is about us collectively looking after each other, looking after the dressing room, looking after our environment, and looking out for each other.”
And yet there must be individual accountability, too. It is only two weeks since Root ripped up the ECB’s curfew on England players, calling on his teammates to “be adults” and take responsibility on and off the field. Now England’s hierarchy needs to think very carefully about who it asks to take on that responsibility. Men in their 30s who routinely stay out drinking into the small hours are, technically, adults, but perhaps they shouldn’t be selected to enjoy lavish central contracts and represent their country.
Carse, to take one example, has previously been banned for breaching betting rules. He was sent home from a white-ball tour of the Caribbean in 2023 over his off-field conduct. He is clearly one of England’s best fast bowlers. But perhaps it has come to the point when England must start to choose the right people to create a healthy professional environment, rather than selecting the most talented individuals.
Root is right about late-night curfews. England will not change their team culture with strict rules and regulations. But the captain, the new national selector, Marcus North, and the new head coach, Fleming, must think carefully about the people they place in that dressing room. Then the culture will take care of itself.
