Drinking culture embedded in cricket – StokesImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Ben Stokes played 122 Tests, 114 one-day internationals and 43 T20s for EnglandByMandeep SangheraBBC Sport journalistPublished4 August 2026, 07:52 BSTUpdated 38 minutes agoBen Stokes says “cricket has a drinking culture and that has not changed”, but does not believe the England team has a problem with alcohol.Former England captain Stokes, 35, revealed his shock retirement from international cricket in June – during the third and final Test of the series against New Zealand.
The all-rounder’s departure came weeks after he missed England’s second Test against the Kiwis following an incident in a London nightclub involving him and bowler Gus Atkinson.
That was the newest in a number of off-field episodes involving the England team.
A midnight curfew was introduced following the Ashes tour, with the policy updated to advise England players to avoid drinking alcohol on the day before and the day after matches – following the incident involving Stokes and Atkinson.
Asked whether the England team had a drinking problem, Stokes told the For the Love of Cricket podcast:, external “No, that is such an extreme thing to put on a team.”
He added: “I think cricket has a drinking culture and that hasn’t changed.
“We are in 2026 now, where the game has gone more professional over the years, and one thing that has just stayed within cricket is its relationship with alcohol – from club cricket it works its way up. It has just stayed there and has been embedded within the sport.
“The relationship between alcohol and cricket is just something that hasn’t moved on as the game has become more professional.
“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.”
