England captain Ben Stokes struck a defiant tone in the face of off-field scrutiny, choosing to protect his squad rather than reinforce a growing drinking culture narrative. Stokes has clarified his priorities ahead of the high-stakes Boxing Day Test after a controversial mid-series break in Noosa that sparked debate over professionalism.
With England already 3-0 down and the Ashes series effectively lost, the captain is focusing on the human element of leadership, emphasizing player welfare over external noise. It comes as his position England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) admits Viral footage with opener Ben Duckett. For Stokes, the role of a leader in these tumultuous moments is to act as a barrier protecting his players from harmful public scrutiny.
I don’t know what happened to Ben Duckett in Australia. Generally he is one of the Best Cricketers but in Australia he is complete opposite. During the 2017/18 Ashes he poured a drink on James Anderson’s head and now this video. He risked his careerpic.twitter.com/KVsCbv73jX
— Aryan Goel (@Aryan42832Goel) December 23, 2025
England captain Ben Stokes has addressed the drinking controversy ahead of the Boxing Day Test against Australia
Addressing the media at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Stokes avoided allegations of specific misconduct to focus on the psychological toll such public scrutiny is taking on his teammates. Amid allegations that several players had too much to drink during the 4-day break Queenslandof Sunny Beachthe captain refused to join the chorus of critics. He insisted that his main focus is on protecting his team’s mental wellbeing as they look to regain momentum and avoid a 5-0 shutout in the last two Tests. Describing his role as a protection role, Stokes is trying to maintain a supportive environment within the team as it struggles to gain traction throughout a difficult tour.
“How I handle this moment is the most important thing for me at the moment. The welfare of everyone there and probably some individuals is the most important thing for me as England captain at the moment. I know how things like this can affect people and my role as England captain is to protect my players as much as I can. First-hand experience of how it can affect people, my role as England captain is to protect my players as much as I can. My main job here as England captain at the moment is to make sure they know I have my support.”
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While wanting to be protective, Stokes admitted the only way his team can escape the current level of criticism is to perform on the field. He was brutally honest about the state of the team, admitting that losing the first three Tests in just 11 days’ play left them zero leverage to argue against their detractors. Despite the devastation within the camp, the captain urges his players to treat the remaining matches at the MCG and SCG as a privilege. He reminded the group that representing England remains a lifelong dream and should not be overshadowed by a few days of negative headlines, even as the ECB settles the facts surrounding the trip to Noosa.
“When you’re down 3-0 and lose a series, everything you say, everything you do is scrutinized, and rightfully so. When you’re down three games in a big series like that, you don’t have a leg to stand on. When you win, it’s great; when you lose, it’s not. We still have the intention to try and achieve this trip.” We still have two cricket games to play.” Stokes concluded.
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