LONDON: England white-ball captain Harry Brook and team-mate Jacob Bethell have been cautioned over their conduct following a nightclub incident during the pre-Ashes tour of New Zealand last year.

The Cricket Regulator, an independent body responsible for enforcing rules under the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), issued the warnings on Wednesday after finding both players in breach of professional conduct regulations.

Brook was initially fined £30,000 by the ECB and handed a final warning after he became involved in an altercation with a bouncer at a nightclub in Wellington on the eve of a one-day international on November 1. The incident only came to light two months later.

He had originally claimed he was alone at the time but later admitted that Bethell and fast bowler Josh Tongue were also present. Brook said he had lied to protect his team-mates and subsequently issued a public apology.

Both Brook and Bethell played in the match the following day, which England lost by two wickets, completing a 3-0 series defeat. No action was taken against Tongue, who was not part of the one-day squad at the time.

In a statement, the regulator confirmed it had issued caution notices to both players, adding that they had accepted responsibility for breaching conduct rules.

Despite the controversy, Brook retained the captaincy for the T20 World Cup, where he led England to the semi-finals before losing to India national cricket team.

England’s off-field conduct during their tour of Australia also drew criticism, particularly during the 4-1 Ashes defeat, with reports highlighting poor preparation, inconsistent team selection and concerns over a “drinking culture”.

Players were seen spending extended time at bars during a mid-series break, while a video of an apparently intoxicated Ben Duckett circulated on social media.

Meanwhile, Test captain Ben Stokes, head coach Brendon McCullum and managing director of men’s cricket Rob Key retained their roles following a review of the tour.