‘Quite ironic’: Tubby weighs in on Stokes’ defence of England booze problem
Australian great Mark Taylor believes ex-England captain Ben Stokes′ remarks about cricket’s relationship with alcohol are ironic, especially given the position the now-retired international star held within his team.
Stokes denied his side had a drinking problem during a lengthy episode of the For the Love of Cricket podcast, hosted by close friends and former teammates Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler.
Former England captain Ben Stokes denied his side had a drinking problem. Getty
Strokes refuted the drinking problem allegation when put to him directly, and labelled it “an extreme thing to put on a team”.
“But I think cricket has a drinking culture and that has not changed,” he said.
“We are in 2026 now, where the game has gone more professional over the years. But one thing that has just stayed within cricket is its relationship with alcohol, from club cricket it works its way up. It stays and is embedded within the sport.
“That is the relationship between alcohol and cricket – it has not moved on as the game has become more professional. There’s more science and medicine, more nutritional information, more this and that. One thing that has been a constant, and has been for a very long time, is the relationship with alcohol.
“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.”
Taylor did not deny a drinking culture has lived within the sport of cricket for as long as he can remember, but it is not the only sport to have issues with it.
Still, he did feel it was ironic that Stokes was jumping to the defence of his team given he was the one to lead the side to Noosa when facing Australia in the Ashes series last year.
The team’s time in Noosa saw a number of players at the centre of headlines due to players heavily drinking. As a result, a curfew was set for the side’s recent Test series against New Zealand, but Stokes, himself, broke that rule.
“It is quite ironic thoughts from Ben,” Taylor said on Nine’s Wide World of Sports.
“Yes, there is alcohol in sport - it has been since I was around in the sport.
“But if you see a problem and you think it is a problem, I would be thinking you should do something about it and change it. Unfortunately, Ben didn’t do that.”
Stokes received a standing ovation after he announced his retirement. Getty Images
The podcast appearance is the first time Stokes has spoken publicly since he retired from international cricket in June, following England’s 2-1 Test series loss to New Zealand.
Stokes and his teammates have been caught up in a series of booze-related off-field incidents over the years.
In 2017 following a drunken brawl following an ODI victory against the West Indies. He was found not guilty of affray.
Then came the Noosa trip in 2025 and later a boozy night out at a club in New Zealand in June this year, where Stokes and Ben Atkison were caught in an incident with rugby player Totoa Auvaa.
“I think (cricket’s relationship with alcohol) can be a problem,” Stokes continued.
“If you look at everything over the years, a lot of people who have been involved within cricket, have had bad relationships with alcohol. I don’t know what you do to change it.
“I have had, I don’t want to say problems, but I’ve had relationships with alcohol over my career that have been potentially dangerous, if that makes sense. But that is completely different to me now.
“There is a relationship with alcohol that has been the same since the 1980s. As the game has got better and better, that has stayed around.”
Despite the fall-out from the boozy Noosa trip, Stokes said he would still take the team on the trip if the series were held today.
Stokes has dipped his toes into coaching, with roles in the Hundred, the England Lions (the England A-team), as well as the academy squad for his boyhood county Durham, for which he still plays.
Stokes said he is taking steps to formalise a future in coaching, and dreamed of one day coaching the England Test side.
“I’m doing my level three coaching now while I’m still playing because I want, when the day comes that I’m not playing any more, I’d love to be able to have all that stuff signed off and done,” he said.
“I know what I want to do in terms of staying within the game, which is to be a coach. Would I love to be coach of England one day? Absolutely.
“I just really like the idea of being in some form of leadership away from playing.”
Stokes also reiterated he was “definitely” retired, and he ruled himself out of a potential comeback for next year’s Ashes.
