Follow UsEngland Test captain Ben Stokes has quit alcohol to get himself completely fit for the five-match Test series against India, starting on June 20, and the Ashes series in Australia later this year.
Stokes has recovered from hamstring surgery after breaking down in New Zealand in December, his second hamstring tear in five months.
“After my first major injury, I remember the shock of it, after the initial adrenalin, thinking, ‘How has this happened? We did have a bit of a drink four or five nights ago, could that have played a part? It wouldn’t have helped’,” the Telegraph quoted Stokes as saying.
“Then I was like, ‘OK, I need to start changing what I do.’ I don’t think I’ll ever be completely sober but I’ve not had a drink since January 2. I said to myself, ‘Not until I finish my injury rehab and get back on the field’.
“The day I wake up and can’t be bothered to do the training is getting towards that time you don’t really want it any more. But I haven’t got any interest in stopping.
“I feel like I have to work so much harder away from the field, in the gym, and all that to give me the best chance of being out there.”
The 33-year-old hasn’t played a competitive game in 2025 but is now fit and will captain England in the one-off four-day Test against Zimbabwe, starting May 22 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.