Ben Stokes, the former captain of England, has reiterated that his team did not have a “drinking problem” following a number of incidents involving alcohol during the concluding months of his captaincy.
Ben Stokes declared his retirement from international cricket during the June Third Test match against New Zealand.
In the last few months of his tenure, the team’s purported “drinking culture” has been questioned. The 4-1 Ashes series loss in Australia was highlighted by the mid-series excursion to Noosa, where opener Ben Duckett was caught on camera intoxicated. Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson got into a brawl in a pub following the first Test at Lord’s against the Black Caps, which kept them from participating in the second Test.
Ben Stokes discussed the event and the team’s broader problems, stating that cricket as a whole still has a complex relationship with alcohol despite advances in sports science and nutrition.
“No. Putting that on a team is really drastic. However, I believe that there is still a drinking culture in cricket. Now that we are in 2026, the game has become very professional. However, one aspect of cricket that has remained constant is its association with alcohol; it starts in club cricket and moves up. It is ingrained in the sport and remains there. Ben Stokes stated on their podcast, For The Love Of Cricket, “That is the relationship between alcohol and cricket; it has not changed as the game has become more professional.”
There is additional information about diet, science, and medicine, among other things. The relationship with alcohol is one thing that has remained consistent for a very long time. I would disagree with those who believe that the English cricket team has a drinking culture. He continued, “I would simply say that cricket has a culture that is associated with alcohol.”44
The all-rounder also talked about times when he interacted personally with alcohol. After an ODI against the West Indies, he got into a fight in Bristol while drunk, leading to his detention. He mentioned well-known players who have had difficult connections with drinking while asserting that the relationship between alcohol and cricket has not changed despite developments in the game.
“I believe there may be an issue. Many cricket players have had negative ties with alcohol if you look at everything over the years. I have no idea what you do to alter it. It’s just one of those things I’ve experienced—I don’t want to call difficulties, but throughout my career, I’ve had potentially hazardous connections with alcohol, if that makes sense. But for me now, that is entirely different.
As the game has improved throughout the years, there has been a consistent link with drinking since the 1980s. That’s what I think about booze and cricket,” he stated.
