England Test captain Ben Stokes has revealed he gave up alcohol in January to aid his recovery from a torn hamstring—his latest in a string of injuries that have cast doubt on his future as an all-rounder.
The 33-year-old, who underwent surgery after injuring himself during the third Test against New Zealand in December, has yet to make his return for Durham in the County Championship.
With England’s international summer set to kick off against Zimbabwe on 22 May at Trent Bridge, Stokes is hoping his stricter lifestyle will give him the edge.
Speaking on the Untapped podcast hosted by Spencer Matthews, Stokes reflected on the impact alcohol may have had on his body and past recoveries:
"After my first major injury... I was thinking, ‘How has this happened?’... I thought, ‘We did have a bit of a drink four or five nights ago, could that have played a part?’”
This realisation led him to reassess his relationship with alcohol. “I need to start changing what I do,” he said, adding that he hasn’t touched a drop since January.
While he doesn’t intend to quit drinking forever, he said he's now able to control it better, no longer stuck in the “all or nothing” mindset of his youth.
Stokes also spoke candidly about cricket’s changing drinking culture, contrasting today’s rigorous schedules and fitness demands with the freewheeling party stories of the '90s and 2000s.
“There’s so much more cricket now... the body just can’t withstand all that—even without a couple of beers at the end of the day,” he said.
The England skipper, who also had knee surgery in 2023, has been sharing clips of his training progress online. He remains committed to his rehab and eager to return to full fitness.
“I haven't got any interest in stopping... I’ll keep going as long as I possibly can.”
As England prepares for a packed summer, all eyes will be on whether this sober, streamlined version of Stokes can lead from the front—both as captain and all-rounder.
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