India, Jan. 10 -- Brendon McCullum pushed back hard against claims of a "booze-fuelled" Ashes tour, insisting England's dressing room is not built around alcohol even as the ECB conducts a review of a 4-1 series defeat in Australia.

The comments from the England coach came after the team's loss in the fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with The Guardian quoting the head coach as saying the picture being painted does not reflect the reality of his squad. "Half our guys don't have a drink, to be honest. They'll have a couple of beers every now and again. I think people do that in most walks of life," McCullum said.

McCullum's defence comes with the team's culture under scrutiny following reports around a mid-series break at Noosa be...