News
Stuart Broad: England do not have a drinking culture
13 Jan 2026 • about 12 mins ago
Stuart Broad has poured cold water on claims that England’s Test side is gripped by a drinking problem, though he concedes the squad could have handled recent nights out with a little more care.
The 39-year-old, a central figure during the early “Bazball” surge, retired after the 2023 Ashes but remains close to the camp as a commentator on this winter’s tour of Australia. Speaking on The Love of Cricket podcast, Broad addressed headlines that followed England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat and a string of off-field mishaps.
Key incidents
• Harry Brook fined £30,000 after an altercation with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand.
• Ben Duckett filmed looking dazed in Noosa during the mid-series break.
• Management now weighing up a midnight curfew before the white-ball squad heads to Sri Lanka for T20 World Cup preparations.
Broad’s view
“They’ve just had a couple of guys who have made mistakes and that’s got into the media,” Broad said. “I think it’s up to your team-mates to get you out of those situations, and that’s when your culture’s really strong.”
He believes the dressing-room should shoulder some responsibility.
“Ben Duckett isn’t left alone, no idea where his hotel is. Harry Brook doesn’t get himself in a situation with a bouncer, because they’re not allowed anywhere near that situation. So I think that’s the thing that will disappoint Baz [head coach Brendon McCullum].”
Curfews, he feels, are a blunt instrument.
“I really didn’t like having a 12 o’clock curfew, because I just didn’t feel like you should need it. As long as you have people around you to get yourself home at a suitable hour, having the team-mates around you to go, ‘your time’s up’.”
Life on tour
Broad reminded listeners that touring cricketers live out of suitcases for long stretches and need a release from the pressures of Test cricket.
“As an international player, you need some sort of release,” he said. “I’m not saying it’s ‘have a few beers, whatever your release is’, but if you don’t have that mental switch-off, it drives you mad if you don’t do anything.”
He stands firm against the idea of a systemic issue.
“There isn’t a drinking culture. I’ll hang my hat on that, knowing the boys as well as I do. But it is just making sure the boys don’t get in trouble when situations arise.”
Buttler’s perspective
White-ball captain Jos Buttler, Broad’s co-host, agreed that perception matters as much as behaviour.
“A lot of it is optics as well, isn’t it?” Buttler said. “You’ve got to be so aware. Your team-mates look after you, but you’ve got to look after yourself.”
Analysis
In practical terms, England’s management must now decide whether a blanket curfew will foster discipline or merely shift mischief indoors. Previous regimes experimented with restrictions; results were mixed. Players dislike feeling policed, yet reputational damage can be costly, especially with a global tournament around the corner.
Brook’s fine and Duckett’s video were small-scale incidents, but they feed an old narrative—English cricketers partying after defeats. Broad’s defence is credible; squad fitness data and on-field intensity suggest no underlying alcohol problem. Still, with broadcasters and sponsors alert to every smartphone clip, the margin for error is thin.
If McCullum and captain Ben Stokes want to preserve the relaxed, attacking ethos that defines this team, the answer probably lies in stronger peer-to-peer accountability rather than rigid curfews. As Broad hinted, trusting grown professionals while reminding them someone will always be filming may be the only sustainable balance.
For now, England head to Sri Lanka with bruised reputations but a clear message from one of their most experienced campaigners: stay united, use common sense, and keep the focus on cricket.
