Matt Prior Calls Out Cricket’s Problematic Drinking Culture

Former England keeper-batter Matt Prior has thrown a spotlight on cricket’s booze culture, calling for a “much bigger conversation” after England’s 4-1 Ashes hammering in Australia and a string of off-field controversies.

Ashes hangover exposes deeper culture issue

The postmortem to England’s latest Ashes flop has gone way beyond batting averages and bowling plans. Questions are now being asked about what happens after stumps, with the team’s drinking habits dragged under the microscope.

Concerns first flared around reports of players drinking heavily during the mid-series Noosa trip, a break that was supposed to reset the squad but instead fuelled criticism of priorities and professionalism. That scrutiny intensified when white-ball captain and Test vice-captain Harry Brook had to apologise after an altercation with a nightclub bouncer on the New Zealand tour, the night before an ODI in Wellington that England went on to lose.

For Prior, who played 79 Tests and saw dressing rooms evolve across eras, this isn’t about one bad night out or one bad tour. It is about whether modern international cricket can afford a culture where alcohol still sits at the centre of bonding and release, especially when results are poor and leadership figures are in the dock.

From an Indian lens, where images of late-night celebrations are increasingly common across bilateral series and the IPL, Prior’s warning feels like one the global game can’t just shrug off. With player workloads at breaking point and scrutiny higher than ever, the balance between decompressing and derailing has rarely looked more delicate.