Brendon McCullum relaxes England's alcohol restrictions after India series triumph

England head coach Brendon McCullum has relaxed the newly imposed drinking restrictions on players, following their historic 4-0 whitewash in the T20I series against India. Under the new guidelines imposed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in the wake of the recent controversy involving Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson, players are not allowed to consume alcohol between the day before the match starts and the day after the match ends.

However, there’s a clause that gives McCullum and managing director Rob Key the power to overrule the restrictions. Hence, to celebrate England’s triumph, which also catapulted them to the top of the ICC T20I team rankings, McCullum has given free will to the players to have a drink.

"For a start, there's not many of our guys that actually drink, but anyone that wants a beer can have a beer, yes. The guidelines are in place. People are very aware of the guidelines. They've been sent around. The policy is designed to make sure that people are being looked after and making the right decisions,” McCullum was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

McCullum also said that he has trust in all the players but advised them to not go overboard while indulging in alcohol.

"I trust the players completely. All the information is there. You still have to feel the warmth of success and if you are someone that likes a beer, then tonight is a great opportunity to be able to enjoy yourself - as long as it's sensible, and it's not to excess - and allow something that you've achieved over the last ten days or so sink in the way that you want it to. But everyone's very aware of it [the guidance] and I think we'll have a quiet beer and just let this one land - just as long as no-one lands on the front page,” he added.

England and India to play ODIs next

England beat India by 56 runs in the fifth and final T20I of the series at the Rose Bowl, Southampton, which sealed a 4-0 whitewash against India. It was also their first-ever T20I series win (involving 2 or more matches) against India.

The victory has come at an important time for England, who recently lost the Test series against New Zealand by 1-2, which had put McCullum’s coaching job on the line. England will next take on India in a three-match ODI series, beginning on July 14.