London, Aug 4: Former England Test captain Ben Stokes has said that alcohol has long been part of cricket culture at various levels of the sport, rejecting the view that England cricket alone has a drinking problem.
Speaking on the For The Love of Cricket podcast with former England teammates Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler, Stokes said the relationship between cricket and alcohol has continued despite the sport becoming increasingly professional.
The 35-year-old said cricket has witnessed major changes in areas such as sports science, fitness, nutrition, medical support and player preparation.
However, he noted that the traditional association between the game and alcohol has remained largely unchanged.According to Stokes, the culture is not limited to the England team and can be seen across different levels of cricket, from local and club competitions to the international stage.
His remarks came in the context of a recent disciplinary episode during England’s Test series against New Zealand. Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson were suspended for one Test after being found to have breached the team’s curfew following a late-night outing.
The England and Wales Cricket Board later conducted an investigation and cleared the players of any additional wrongdoing. Both returned to the squad for the following Test, but the incident led the board to introduce stricter guidelines concerning alcohol consumption and player conduct.
Stokes subsequently announced his retirement from international cricket, ending a distinguished career in which he played a key role in several major successes for England.
He is expected to remain involved in domestic and franchise cricket.Stokes’ comments have added to the wider debate over whether cricket’s traditional social practices should change as the sport continues to adopt higher standards of professionalism, fitness and player accountability.
