Ben Stokes: Cricket has a drinking culture
Ben Stokes: Cricket has a drinking culture
Will MacphersonTue, August 4, 2026 at 8:15 AM UTC
0
Ben Stokes believes there was nothing unusual about the drinking habits of his England team - Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Ben Stokes has explained that cricket’s relationship with alcohol has “not moved on” in modern times.
In a wide-ranging interview with his friends Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler on their For The Love Of Cricket podcast, England’s recently-retired captain was asked if the team had a drinking problem, Stokes said: “No… that is such an extreme thing to put on a team.
“But I think cricket has a drinking culture and that has not 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. 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.”
Stokes has had an up and down relationship with alcohol across his career. In 2017 he was arrested for a brawl in Bristol while drunk after an ODI against West Indies, but later he gave up alcohol. After England beat New Zealand at Lord’s in June, he went out and was accused of breaking the team’s curfew.
“I think it can be a problem. If you look at everything over the years, a lot of people who have been involved within 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 on alcohol.”
However, Stokes said he would still take his team for a mid-Ashes trip to the Queensland seaside resort of Noosa, despite scrutiny of their drinking there.
Stokes also revealed his desire to coach England in the future.
“I’m doing my level three coaching now while I’m still playing, because I want, when the day comes that I’m not playing anymore, I’d love to be able to have all that stuff signed off and done,” he said. “I know what I want to do in terms of staying within the game, which is to be a coach.
Advertisement
“And would I love to be coach of England one day? Absolutely. I just really like the idea of being in some form of leadership away from playing.”
‘I told Joe, my only worry is you’
Stokes expressed some surprise that Joe Root is succeeding him as captain, not Harry Brook, the vice-captain. Root has already done a five-year stint as captain before Stokes, but has been installed alongside Stephen Fleming, the new Test coach. Brook will remain in charge of the white-ball side with Brendon McCullum as coach.
Stokes says he is wary of the mental toll a second spell as Test captain could entail for Root - Andrew Boyers/Reuters
Rob Key, the managing director, said the role had come “too soon” for Brook, who is still learning his Test game and was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington last year, hours before captaining England in an ODI. When Stokes missed a Test against New Zealand for disciplinary reasons, Brook was overlooked as captain, which surprised Stokes.
“I think just if you think someone’s going to be a good captain or a good leader, then just give them it,” said Stokes.
“Brooky was made vice-captain – I’m not there anymore, but even when I missed that Test match, I was like, ‘he’s vice captain?’ I sort of understood the reasoning why they were saying it, but what message is that sending to him?
“He’s vice-captain, and the captain is not playing, but he’s not captain. And then the same again here [with the permanent role].”
Stokes expressed concern about Root, a close confidant, doing the job after the toll it took during his first stint between 2017 and 2022.
“I love Rooty and I wish him nothing but success,” he said. “I hope he achieves amazing things in his role as captain. He’s going to really enjoy working with Flem. He’s a great man, I’ve worked with him before. I told Joe, I said my only worry is just you.
“And that’s all I really care about now, just because I have seen what he went through and how much he put himself through for someone.
“He’s just always put the team first like he always comes second. And that’s just my only concern with it is just obviously knowing what he went through last time he was in charge of the team because I don’t want to see that ever happen again because I care for Joe a lot, but I wish him all the success in the world.”
Source: “AOL Sports”
