'Cricket has an alcohol culture, not just England': Ben Stokes
Former England Test captain Ben Stokes argues that cricket has a deep-rooted culture of alcohol consumption that transcends national teams. His comments follow a disciplinary suspension for breaching team curfew, which he uses to highlight that the issue is systemic within the sport.
Why it matters
The discussion reflects a broader debate about professional sports culture, athlete conduct, and the modernization of traditional sporting habits.
Former England Test captain Ben Stokes has dismissed suggestions that England alone has a drinking problem, arguing that alcohol has long been embedded in cricket's culture across all levels of the sport. Speaking on the For The Love of Cricket podcast with former teammates Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler, the 35-year-old reflected on cricket's long-standing relationship with alcohol just weeks after announcing his retirement from international cricket.'Cricket has a culture associated with alcohol'During the discussion, Broad put forward a question many fans have been asking in recent years: Does England cricket have a drinking problem? Stokes disagreed with the premise, insisting the issue extends far beyond one national team."No, I mean, that's such an extreme thing to put on a team. I think cricket has just a drinking culture and it hasn't changed. We are in 2026 now where the game has gone more professional over the years.
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