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Former England National Cricket Team captain Ben Stokes retired from international cricket in June following the third Test match against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. He retired in a sudden way after he was involved in a nightclub controversy following the first Test match against the Kiwis and breached the team curfew. He now opened up on the alcohol culture of the team.
Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson went to a party after the win over New Zealand in the first Test match. However, both cricketers were involved in a fight in a nightclub after they breached the team’s curfew, and they had a physical altercation with a Rugby player, which saw them being suspended from the second Test match.
Ben Stokes opens up about alcohol and drinking culture
Now, while speaking on a podcast named ‘For The Love Of Cricket ’, Stokes, alongside former teammates Jos Buttler and Stuart Broad, shared his experience of whether the England team has drinking problems. He said:
"No. I mean, that's such an extreme thing to put on a team. I think cricket has a drinking culture, and it really hasn't changed. We're in 2026 now, and the game has become much more professional over the years. But one thing that I think has stayed the same is cricket's relationship with alcohol."
"From club cricket onwards, it has always been there, and it's become embedded within the sport. While the game has evolved with more science, better medicine, improved nutrition, and greater professionalism, the one constant has been its relationship with alcohol."
"So, for people who think the England cricket team specifically has a drinking culture, I'd say no. I would say cricket, as a sport, has a culture that is associated with alcohol."
Ben Stokes believes England's drinking culture will not change
Ben Stokes also stated that he has had bad relations with alcohol every time he consumed it. He said it is not a problem, but it is dangerous, as he believes that the relationship between England Cricket and alcohol has remained the same since the 1980s. Despite the game having improved and changed, the alcohol relationship has stayed the same.
"I think it can be. If you look back over the years, you'll see a lot of people involved in cricket who have had unhealthy relationships with alcohol. I honestly don't know what you do to change it. It's just one of those things."
"I've also had periods in my career where my relationship with alcohol was, I wouldn't say a problem, but it was potentially dangerous, if that makes sense. It's completely different for me now."
"But I still believe that cricket's relationship with alcohol has remained the same since the 1980s. As the game has improved and become more professional, that one aspect has stayed exactly the same. That's my opinion on cricket and alcohol."
Has Ben Stokes been involved in a fight previously?
Ben Stokes, after being suspended over the nightclub controversy, faced severe backlash as the captain of the side. This was not the only time he was involved in a physical fight.
Previously, back in 2017 in Bristol on September 25, he was involved in a high-profile street fight outside a nightclub. He was later arrested and charged with affray, though he was found not guilty by a jury at Bristol Crown Court in August 2018.
