Ben Stokes has not touched alcohol since January 2 after admitting his drinking might have played a part in the hamstring trouble that ruled him out of last summer’s Test series against Sri Lanka and the start of the trip to Pakistan.
Stokes first picked up the injury playing for Northern Superchargers in the Hundred last August, and four months later exacerbated it in New Zealand, leading to a long period of rehab that will end when he captains England in this week’s one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge.
Looking back at last summer, he told the Untapped podcast: ‘I was sat there thinking, how has this happened?
‘And I was like, oh s***. We did have a bit of a bit of a drink five nights ago. Could that have played a part? Well, it wouldn’t have helped. So then I was like, right, I need to start changing what I do with my preparation.’
The 33-year-old Stokes, who has joined forces with CleanCo, an alcohol-free spirits brand, admitted his attitude to drink is more moderate these days.
‘I can have a social drink now,’ he said. ‘It used to drive my wife, Clare, mad that I would just be all or nothing.
England captain Ben Stokes has binned the booze during his latest injury rehabilitation
Stokes made his admission on a podcast episode of UNTAPPED with Spencer Matthews
Stokes suffered multiple hamstring injuries last year, leading to him needing surgery
‘If we’d go for a nice dinner, I never really understood why it was so frustrating to her, but all she wanted to do is share a glass of wine with her husband. Now I get it. I can appreciate it for what it is, not just to get me p****d.
‘I just never used to worry about having a couple or a big one, because I didn’t know what a hangover was till I was like 28. But now I understand that alcohol isn’t gonna help me perform better.’
The full interview with Ben Stokes is available on UNTAPPED with Spencer Matthews, out on Monday wherever you get your podcasts.