Don’t stop drinking, Alastair Cook tells his players

Birmingham: England Captain Alastair Cook insists boozy nights out build team spirit — even though Root was punched in the face by Aussie batsman David Warner at 2am last Sunday in a Birmingham bar.

The incident has provided an explosive build-up to this summer’s Ashes series and the 26 matches between the bitter rivals during the next eight months.

Warner has been dropped from the Champions Trophy by Cricket Australia.

“Celebrating wins builds team spirit — as long as it is within certain parameters we set as a team and if the schedule allows.

“We had a couple of days off after the match on Saturday and didn’t have training until Tuesday. Our next game wasn’t for another five days.”

Yorkshire’s baby-faced batsman Root, 22, suffered no damage when Warner, 26, took a swing at him in the Walkabout bar following England’s 48-run win at Edgbaston several hours earlier.

An ECB statement exonerated Root of any blame and called Warner’s actions an “unprovoked physical attack.”

I understand Root borrowed a green and gold- coloured wig from another reveller, one of many wigs being worn in the bar.

He then moved the wig on to his chin so it resembled a beard.

It is believed Warner thought Root was trying to impersonate Hashim Amla, South Africa’s batsman who has a substantial beard, and attempted to grab the wig.

In fact, Root put on the beard because his team-mates are always joking that he is too young to grow his own facial hair.

When Root asked what he was doing, Warner threw a punch and made glancing contact with the Yorkshireman’s chin.

Warner was dragged away by team-mates while Root and Stuart Broad, who was with him, departed immediately.

Other England players were in a different part of the bar and not aware of the incident.

It is not the first time Warner has been in trouble — last month he was fined £4,000 for sending abusive tweets to two Aussie journalists.

Cook added: “We don’t believe any of our players have done anything wrong. Our statement is a fair reflection of what happened.

“Joe seems fine. There’s no physical injury or anything like that. He’s an excellent young man.”