Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020

Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell have been formally warned by the Cricket Regulator after their conduct during England's tour of New Zealand last year was judged to have brought the game into disrepute. The case relates to events in Wellington on November 1, when Brook had been out drinking the night before captaining England in the third One-Day International against New Zealand. It matters because the ruling has now put two senior white-ball figures on notice and reopened questions around standards and drinking culture within the England setup.

Brook had already been fined by the England and Wales Cricket Board after admitting he had been out late before that match and had been "clocked" by a bouncer while trying to enter a late-night venue. England weighed up taking the captaincy off him for the game, but instead dealt with the matter privately, with that sanction never publicly announced at the time. The story only became public more than two months later, shortly after England's defeat in the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney, when details appeared in the Telegraph.

That fresh attention on leadership and discipline arrives at a time when teams are constantly being judged on more than results, much like Ishan Kishan Steps into Leadership Role for Sunrisers Hyderabad as Pat Cummins Mentors from Sidelines, where off-field responsibility also sits in focus. In England's case, the matter grew more serious when Brook first said he had been alone, before later admitting Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue had been with him. Brook said he had lied in an attempt to protect his team-mates.

What the Cricket Regulator decided

The case was passed to the Cricket Regulator, the independent body that oversees the game's regulations in England and Wales. It found that both Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell had breached Regulation 3.2 of the England and Wales Cricket Board's Professional Conduct Regulations. That rule states: "No Participant may conduct themself in a manner, do any act or make any omission at any time which is improper or which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute."

Brook and Bethell have both accepted the caution notices issued to them. In practice, that leaves each player on what amounts to a final warning, without a formal charge letter being issued. The notices will stay on their disciplinary records for the next three years, which gives the decision more weight than a routine reminder.

Josh Tongue, who said this week that he had "learned from" the episode, has not faced any further action. That outcome leaves the spotlight on Brook and Bethell, particularly given their roles in England's current setup. Brook is England's Test vice-captain, while Bethell has been serving as Brook's de facto deputy in white-ball cricket.

How the England management responded

Rob Key addressed the issue in December when footage emerged of players drinking on the night in question. At the time, England's managing director said the team had encountered "none of these issues" since he had taken on the role. He also denied that formal disciplinary action had been taken, though he has since said he was speaking only about the footage itself.

After the England and Wales Cricket Board's review following the Ashes, Key accepted there were concerns around the way some players handled alcohol. He said: "Like a lot of teams, there's two or three players that can be irresponsible with alcohol given the opportunity. What we're trying to do is try to find that happy medium." That comment gave a clearer picture of why the board has since tightened its approach.

England brought in a midnight curfew ahead of the tour of Sri Lanka and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup earlier this year. That measure is expected to remain in place through the coming summer. It is a direct sign that team management wants fewer grey areas around player behaviour on tour.

What it means for Brook and Bethell now

For Harry Brook, the case lands at an awkward point in the season. He is expected to play County Championship cricket for Yorkshire before England begin a three-match series against New Zealand in June. That means his next appearances will come with this story still fresh, even if the formal process has now ended.

Jacob Bethell is currently with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League, where the demands and attention around young players can be intense. He remains a player England view as part of their future, which makes this warning something the team will want him to leave behind quickly. The larger point for England is that talent alone will not settle these debates unless behaviour off the field also becomes steadier.

There is no ban here, and no player has been ruled out of selection because of the Wellington incident. Still, the caution notices are a clear marker from the Cricket Regulator that the line was crossed. For official updates on England cricket and regulations, readers can also visit the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Cricket Regulator.