Nasser Hussain praised England’s new Test leader Joe Root for scrapping the team curfew, but he also warned that the returning skipper sometimes seems to lack the intuitive feel for the game that his predecessor Ben Stokes possessed. Root has now captained England on a record‑breaking 65 occasions. His most recent stint came in the second Test loss to New Zealand earlier this summer, a match that followed the suspension of Stokes and Gus Atkinson for breaching a curfew that had been introduced after 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, referring to 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, you’ve already lost control of the squad. Curfews rarely produce positive outcomes because someone is bound to break them. Treat your players as adults; if they behave irresponsibly, first fine them, then drop them. A professional outfit shouldn’t have to rely on a curfew – its existence only highlights how badly the environment had deteriorated." Hussain added, "I’m really pleased that Joe has said ‘no, enough of that nonsense’." The immediate challenge for Root is to rejuvenate an England side that have dropped eight of their last thirteen Tests, a slump that continued after the 2‑1 series defeat to New Zealand that effectively closed the ‘Bazball’ chapter and also coincided with Ben Stokes’ retirement from international cricket.
Root’s first permanent spell as captain also ended in a barren run – only one win in his final seventeen Tests before he stepped down in 2022. "He was handed a massive hospital pass for the second Test at The Oval," Hussain observed. "That was very recent, not four years ago, and it reminded me of some of the moments when Joe’s captaincy felt off‑balance. For a player of his calibre, who usually has an excellent sense of a match’s tempo, he seemed to lack that feel on that occasion.
He was almost trying to emulate Stokes too much, pushing his men onto a bouncy Oval surface where the ball was staying low." Hussain continued, "He doesn’t quite have the innate feel for the game that Stokes displayed. That’s what I admired about Ben’s leadership – a genuine, instinctive grasp of the situation. I’m glad Joe is giving it a go, though I might have leaned towards Harry Brook.
In the white‑ball format, Brook shows a real feel for cricket, an aura that suggests he could translate that instinct into Test leadership. Of course, the packed schedule and other variables must be taken into account." Brook, despite serving as England’s white‑ball vice‑captain, was passed over for the Test role in that second New Zealand match at The Oval. His recent altercation with a nightclub bouncer before an ODI last winter attracted criticism, and the board may have been reluctant to overload the 27‑year‑old with the full‑time Test job.
Michael Atherton, who recently sat down with Root, asked, "Are you doing this out of duty or genuine desire?" Root replied that duty played a part because there were few alternatives – "once they don’t want Harry Brook to do it across three formats, who else is left?" He also expressed genuine excitement about the opportunity, noting that he felt equipped with a strong fast‑bowling attack. Root praised his predecessor, former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, saying, "I’ve always spoken highly of McCullum. He was a great coach for me as a batsman and for the team, even if things didn’t end perfectly. I’m not looking to discard everything that worked under Bazball; I want to keep the successful elements while adding my own stamp.
The most important thing for me is not to force a predetermined style on the side." In the squad for the upcoming series, Essex all‑rounder Jordan Cox will slot in at number three for the first two Tests, replacing the injured Jacob Bethell. Cox’s only other Test appearance came at number six in the second‑Test loss to New Zealand at The Oval, where he posted scores of 27 and 25. Cox, who shared a Hundred franchise with Root at Welsh Fire, said his time with the captain helped him understand the leader better. "I’ve spent three and a half weeks with Joe in The Hundred, and we’ve built a good rapport.
Batting together in the nets, chatting about cricket and life – it’s been fantastic. Test cricket is the pinnacle, and even though The Hundred finished just last night, we got extra training time because we were eliminated early. That extra session will be valuable as we prepare for a big Test match." The three‑Test series against Pakistan will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket from 19 August, with streaming options available via NOW for contract‑free viewing.
The series offers Root a chance to prove that his ‘grown‑up’ approach to team discipline can coexist with the instinctive, game‑reading leadership that has defined England’s most successful captains.