Nasser Hussain praised England’s new Test leader Joe Root for discarding the team curfew, yet he expressed concern that the returning skipper sometimes lacks the intuitive grasp of the game that his predecessor Ben Stokes possessed. Root has now captained England on a record 65 occasions, most recently during the second Test loss to New Zealand earlier this summer.
That match came after Stokes and Gus Atkinson were suspended for breaching a curfew that had been introduced following the 4‑1 Ashes defeat in the winter. "It’s simply a mature decision, isn’t it?" Hussain remarked on the latest Sky Sports Cricket Podcast when discussing Root’s choice to eliminate the curfew ahead of the three‑Test series against Pakistan, which began on Wednesday on Sky Sports.
"If you need a curfew to control your side, you’ve already lost the dressing‑room. It shows a lack of authority. Curfews inevitably get broken, and the only sensible response is to fine the offender and, if necessary, drop them. A professional outfit shouldn’t have to resort to such measures – it merely highlights how poorly the environment was managed in the first place." He added, "I’m delighted that Joe has said ‘no, enough of that nonsense’." The immediate challenge for Root is to revive an England side that have dropped eight of their last thirteen Tests, a slump that followed the 2‑1 series defeat to New Zealand which marked the end of the ‘Bazball’ era and also saw Ben Stokes retire from international cricket.
Root’s first permanent spell as captain ended in a similarly barren run: only one victory in his final seventeen Tests before he stepped down in 2022. Hussain reflected on a recent incident at The Oval, "He was handed a massive pass for the second Test against New Zealand – that was very recent, not four years ago – and it brought back memories of Joe as a captain. For a player of his calibre, who normally senses the tempo of a match, he seemed to lose that feel at The Oval.
He was trying to emulate Stokes, pushing his men forward on a bouncy pitch where the ball was staying low. He just didn’t have the same instinct for the flow of the game.
That’s what I admired about Stokes – his genuine feel for every phase." Hussain also noted, "I’m pleased he’s back, although I sometimes think of Harry Brook. In the white‑ball format Brook shows a natural feel for the game and an aura that could translate well to Tests, provided the schedule and workload allow it." Brook, despite serving as vice‑captain, was overlooked for the Test role in that second match at The Oval. His responsibilities in the limited‑overs squads and a high‑profile incident with a nightclub bouncer before an ODI last winter may have contributed to the decision, as the board appeared reluctant to overload the 27‑year‑old with the permanent Test job.
Michael Atherton, who recently interviewed Root, asked, "Are you doing this out of duty or genuine desire?" Root replied, "Duty, because there isn’t anyone else ready to step in. If we don’t want Harry Brook to juggle all three formats, who else is left? But I’m also truly excited about the opportunity. I feel I have a good set of fast bowlers to work with, and I’m trying to balance loyalty to what has come before with my own ideas." Root praised former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, saying, "He was a fantastic coach for me as a batsman and for the team, even though things ended poorly.
I’m not planning to discard everything that worked under Bazball; I want to keep the successful elements and add my own stamp. The most important thing is I won’t force a rigid, pre‑determined style on the side." In the squad news, Essex all‑rounder Jordan Cox will open the batting at number three for the first two Tests, replacing the injured Jacob Bethell.
Cox previously featured at number six in the second Test loss to New Zealand at The Oval, where he made 27 and 25 in his two innings. Cox spoke about his recent time with Root in The Hundred, saying, "I’ve spent about three and a half weeks with Joe at Welsh Fire, and we’ve built a good rapport.
Training together in the nets, chatting about cricket and life, has given me a different perspective on the captain. Test cricket is the pinnacle, and while The Hundred just finished, we got extra time to prepare for the upcoming Test." The three‑Test series between England and Pakistan will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket from August 19, with streaming options available through NOW for contract‑free viewing.
Overall, while Hussain applauds Root’s decision to treat his players as adults and drop the curfew, he remains cautious about the skipper’s tactical intuition. The upcoming series against Pakistan will be a crucial litmus test: can Root combine mature man‑management with the sharp, instinctive game‑reading that defined Stokes’s tenure? The answer will shape England’s path forward in the post‑Bazball era.