The 3-0 triumph against a hapless Pakistan team in the recent Test series may have given some breathing space to England cricket even as off-field and alcohol-related incidents continued to mar its public image. The controversy and uproar prompted the international retirement of Ben Stokes before Brydon Carse became the most recent example of an England player being somewhere and doing something he should rather not.

Now, England’s white-ball head coach Brendon McCullum, who paid for the fall in standards on and off the field with his Test job, has warned players to present a positive example for the public.

Referring to the incident where Carse was briefly arrested – before being de-arrested – in Derby on charges of being drunk and disorderly, resulting in him not being considered for the remainder of the Pakistan series, the former New Zealand captain said every player needed to make the right choices off the field as well, including the 31-year-old, who needs to “get his house in order.”

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“I’ve spoken to Carsey a lot. Again, it’s the same message, not just to the guys within the squad at the moment, but also to those who have got aspirations of representing England in white-ball cricket over the next 12 to 18 months. We want to play the style of cricket that comes with responsibility, it comes with physical attributes which you need to be ready for. And you need to make good decisions off the field that allow you to be able to be the best version of yourself,” McCullum said ahead of the first of three T20Is against Sri Lanka at Southampton.


He warned that any transgressions will have a bearing on the offenders’ selection prospects.

“I hope it’s crystal clear what is expected… it comes with responsibilities, and that’s just life living in the fast lane of international cricket. There is a lot of talent around – if you’re not prepared to do that, there are other guys who will be given those opportunities.

“I want us to be the fittest, strongest, most robust, dynamic one-day and T20 side in the world. That comes with hard work, commitment to training, the physical element, but also the high-octane style we want to play comes with responsibilities off the field to look after yourself.”

McCullum said the line in the sand was reinforced by new white-ball mentor Kevin Pietersen, who incidentally was not always known to keep to the straight and narrow during his playing days, and had several run-ins with the English cricket establishment.

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“Kev mention it in the dressing room earlier, as well. He said we need to give ourselves every opportunity to try and get to the level and get to the achievements that we want. And that includes a lot of the responsibilities that we make socially and off the field, too,” he said.