Ben Stokes defends his England side, says they did not have a 'drinking culture'

Former England captain Ben Stokes has reiterated that his England side did not have a 'drinking problem' after the penultimate months of his reign as skipper saw the emergence of multiple drinking-related incidents.

Stokes announced his retirement from international cricket during the Third Test against New Zealand in June, with the last few months of his reign marred by incidents which have brought the team's supposed 'drinking culture' into question. The 4-1 Ashes series loss in Australia was overshadowed by a mid-series trip to Noosa, during which opener Ben Duckett was spotted on video in an intoxicated state. This was followed by Stokes himself, along with Gus Atkinson, being involved in a nightclub altercation after the first Test at Lord's against the Black Caps, and subsequently missing the second Test.

Speaking of the incident and the broader topics surrounding the side, Stokes stated that cricket on a whole still has a complex relationship with alcohol, despite the developments in the sports sciences and nutrition aspects that the game has undergone developments in.

“No. That is such an extreme thing to put on a team. But I think cricket has a drinking culture, and it hasn't changed. We are in 2026 now, where the game has gone more professional over the years. But one thing that has just stayed within cricket is its relationship with alcohol; from club cricket, it works its way up. It stays there and is embedded within the sport. That is the relationship between alcohol and cricket; it has not moved on as the game has become more professional,” Stokes said on their For The Love Of Cricket podcast.

There’s more science and medicine, more nutritional information, more this and that. One thing that has been a constant, and has been for a very long time, is the relationship with alcohol. For people who think the English cricket team has a drinking culture, I would say no. I would just say cricket has a culture that is associated with alcohol," he added.44

The all-rounder also revealed times when he has had personal relationships with alcohol, having been involved in a brawl in Bristol while drunk after an ODI against West Indies, for which he was arrested. He also alluded to famous players who have had complex relationships with alcohol, while stating that the relationship between cricket and alcohol has not evolved despite the developments in the sport.

“I think it can be a problem. If you look at everything over the years, a lot of people who have been involved in cricket have had bad relationships with alcohol. I don’t know what you do to change it. It’s just one of those things that I have had- I don’t want to say problems, but I’ve had relationships with alcohol over my career that have been potentially dangerous, if that makes sense. But that is completely different to me now. There is a relationship with alcohol that has been the same since the 1980s, as the game has got better and better, that has stayed around. That is my opinion on cricket and alcohol," he said.