Boycott’s comments follow several high-profile nightclub controversies involving English players.
Legendary England opener Geoffrey Boycott has urged current England cricketers to "act like grown-ups" following a string of recent off-field, alcohol-related incidents.
The 85-year-old suggested that the most effective way to curb the team's recurring disciplinary issues is through selection, specifically by dropping repeat offenders for a few games rather than just issuing repeated warnings.
Boycott’s comments follow several high-profile controversies, including fast bowler Brydon Carse being handcuffs by police outside a nightclub in Derby, leading to his withdrawal from the squad for the recently held second Test against Pakistan at Lord’s as the Cricket Regulator launched an investigation into the matter.
Earlier this summer, Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson missed a Test after breaking the team’s midnight curfew, though an investigation cleared them of violence.
White-ball captain Harry Brook was also involved in a nightclub altercation in Wellington alongside Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue, resulting in conduct cautions for Brook and Bethell.
Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Boycott warned modern players that ubiquitous mobile phones mean poor behavior is easily documented nowadays.
“Everybody’s got a mobile phone, and they’re just going to video you. Everywhere you go, there’s a mobile phone taking pictures. You’ve got to be smart. You can’t just say, ‘Well, I’m a public figure when I’m playing; when I’m not playing, I’m private.’ I’m sorry, it doesn’t work like that,” Boycott said.
He added, “My mum used to tell me, ‘If you’re out after midnight, you’re up to no good.’ Well, I know that’s strictly not true, but what she was saying was: get to bed. Have a great night, but do you need to be there at two and three in the morning? You need some sleep.”
Boycott also recalled his early playing days with Yorkshire, explaining how the decision to abstain from smoking and drinking could leave a player feeling separated from the rest of the dressing room.
However, he argued that players should focus strictly on professional accountability and winning matches rather than dressing-room popularity.
“I think in sporting teams, for a long time there was a feeling that if you didn’t drink, you weren’t sort of manly,” Boycott said.
“But I don’t want to be one of the lads. I don’t want everybody to like everybody. I want to win,” he stated. “I want to know, if you’re a batsman, can you make runs? If you’re a bowler, can you take wickets?”
Addressing England’s current mess, Boycott delivered his sharpest message. “What you do after the end of play... Root was right: act like you’ve grown up,” he said. “Do what you want. Go home, see your wife, see the kids, go out with a girlfriend, have a nice meal. If you want a drink, have a drink, but make sure, however much you drink, the next day you can perform.”
He firmly believes that dropping players for a few games works better than repeated warnings to change behavior. “If they leave an England player out for a few games, let him think about that for a bit.”