Joe Root all set to bring in Code of Conduct for England players

What's the story

In the wake of the most recent developments in England Cricket that has eventually led to the infamous Ben Stokes' trial, England Test captain Joe Root and limited overs' captain Eoin Morgan, are working hand-in-hand in establishing a proper "Code of Conduct" for the players, in an effort to ensure that no waywardness will cause a similar problem in future.

In case you didn't know...

Issues regarding players' behaviour have been a huge headache for England cricket since the late 2000s, with them attaining a peak by around 2009, post the sackings of Kevin Pietersen and Peter Moores.

It was then that a "Code of Conduct" was initially suggested, with one of the earliest templates for the guidelines drafted by then-captain Andrew Strauss and then-coach Andy Flower. The side recovered eventually, and they eventually went on to become the No. 1 Test side by 2011 August.

In the background, however, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and a few of the players were sucked into a long-drawn battle, as a result of which a major part of the original set of guidelines have since been rendered moot.

But old habits die hard, as players started landing in trouble again. Ben Stokes himself, breached protocol more than once and committed a series of alcohol-induced attacks, the latest of which involved an alleged infliction of actual bodily harm in September 2017, for which the recent trial was for.

Though he has been withdrawn from charges of affray, he did break rules of match-day curfew and the like, those that were set by the ECB while the team is participating in a series.

The details

It is said that Joe Root has not waited for the eventual outcome of Stokes' trial to start working on his latest pet project, in tandem with Eoin Morgan. The two team captains are aware of the gravity of the entire situation at hand, and since returning from the infamous Ashes tour when all of the Stokes' problem happened, Root had reportedly been engaged in trying to shape up an ideal modern England code of conduct, canvassing opinions within the dressing room over how it should look like.

He is determined to create an updated version from the previous set of rules so that it is not only favourable to the players but also works effectively in curtailing unnecessary situations in the future.

Root is also keen to include a specific section on dressing room culture and what it means to represent England, as part of his code.

The new steps being taken in this direction is a sign of him starting to assert his authority over the group. It also shows how the 27-year-old has started to feel more comfortable with the role of captaincy. Same can be spoken for Eoin Morgan, who has wielded his white-ball captaincy mantle in par with Root when it comes to this latest decision.

The duo's efforts can effectively herald a fresh change in a squad, already abundant with several bright prospects.

What's next

England will play against India in the third match of the Specsavers' Test series, starting August 18th, 2018, Saturday. The match will be held at Trent Bridge. Ben Stokes may return to the side following his charges being withdrawn from the case, and leg-spinner Adil Rashid or youngster Ollie Pope may take his place in the sidelines.