England captain ben stokes He has adopted a defiant tone in the face of increasing scrutiny off the field and has opted to protect his squad rather than promote the narrative of a growing drinking culture. After a controversial mid-series break in Noosa that sparked debate over professionalism, Stokes made his priorities clear ahead of the high-risk Boxing Day Test.
With England already 3-0 down and effectively losing the Ashes series, the captain is focusing on the human element of leadership and player welfare rather than external noise. His stance is as follows England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) believes Viral footage related to opener Ben DuckettFor Stokes, the role of a leader in these turbulent moments is to act as a protective barrier for his players against damaging public scrutiny,
Don’t know what happens with Ben Duckett in Australia. Normally he is one of the best cricketers but in Australia he is the complete opposite. He poured a drink on James Anderson’s head during the 2017/18 Ashes and now this video. He has put his career at riskpic.twitter.com/KVsCbv73jX
– Aryan Goel (@Aryan42832Goel) 23 December 2025
England captain Ben Stokes addresses drinking controversy ahead of Boxing Day Test against Australia
Addressing the media at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Stokes sidestepped specific allegations of misconduct to focus on the psychological impact the public scrutiny is having on his teammates. Amid allegations that many players engaged in heavy drinking during the four-day break queensland‘S Sunshine CoastThe Captain refused to join the circle of critics. He stressed that his primary objective is to protect the mental well-being of his squad as they look to rebuild momentum and avoid a 5-0 whitewash in the final two Tests. By relegating his role to security, Stokes is attempting to maintain a supportive environment within a team that has struggled to find hold during a challenging tour.
“How I handle this moment right now is the most important thing to me. The welfare of everyone there and probably certain individuals is the most important thing to me as England captain. I know how things like this can affect people, and my role as England captain is to protect my players as much as possible. Things like this are very – I don’t know if ‘close to me’ is the right word – but it’s something I have first-hand experience of how it can affect people. And as I said, my role as England captain is to protect my players as much as possible, at the moment my main job as England captain is to make sure they know they have my support.
Ashes 2025-26 investigation in view of Australia’s defeat
While wishing to be defensive, Stokes admitted that the only way for his team to survive the current level of criticism is to perform on the field. He was extremely honest about the state of the team, admitting that losing the first three Tests in just 11 days of play had left them with no chance of arguing against their opponents. Despite the mayhem within the camp, the captain is urging his players to view the remaining matches at the MCG and SCG as a privilege. He reminded the group that representing England is a lifelong dream that should not be affected by a few days of negative headlines, even as the ECB establishes the facts regarding the Noosa trip.
“When you’re down 3-0 and lose a series, everything you say, everything you do is scrutinized, and rightfully so. When you lose three games in a big series like this you don’t really have a leg to stand on. When you’re winning, everything’s great; when you’re losing, it’s not. We still have a goal to try and achieve on this trip. It’s somehow No closer to planning, but we still have two games of cricket to play.” Stokes concluded.
Also read: Australian Cricket Awards 2026: Will the event be cancelled? Here’s everything we know
