Arabic version: ستوكس يقول إن ثقافة الشرب في الكريكيت لم تتغير

According to BBC News, former England captain Ben Stokes has said cricket retains a drinking culture, while rejecting the suggestion that the England team has an alcohol problem. The 35-year-old, who announced his retirement from international cricket in June, said the sport’s relationship with alcohol had remained embedded even as the game became more professional.

Speaking on the For the Love of Cricket podcast, Stokes said: “I think cricket has a drinking culture and that hasn’t changed.” He said the association runs from club cricket upwards and argued that it was inaccurate to describe England specifically as having a drinking culture. “I would just say cricket has a culture that is associated with alcohol,” he said.

Stokes missed England’s second Test against New Zealand after an incident in a London nightclub involving bowler Gus Atkinson. A midnight curfew was subsequently introduced following the Ashes tour, and guidance was updated to advise players to avoid alcohol on the day before and the day after matches. Stokes was found not guilty of affray in 2018 after a fight outside a Bristol nightclub, and said he had stopped drinking for a period while recovering from injury in 2025.

He said alcohol can be a problem and acknowledged having relationships with it during his career that were “potentially dangerous”, but said that was different now. Stokes also said he would like to coach England in the future and is completing his level three coaching qualification. He backed new Test captain Joe Root, while saying his concern was the toll the role could take on Root’s wellbeing after his previous stint as skipper.