India, Jan. 14 -- Stuart Broad has defended England's players against accusation of a "drinking culture" after their 1-4 Ashes defeat in Australia, insisting the squad "do not have a drinking problem."

With scrutiny rising in recent weeks over off-field behaviour, the former fast bowler said the issue was about preventing teammates from drifting into risky situations, not imposing blanket restrictions.

England's loss to Australia was accompanied by images and reports of players drinking during a break in Noosa, fuelling criticism that the group's standards had slipped. The debate intensified after reports that white-ball captain Harry Brook was fined £ 30,000 for an altercation with a bar bouncer on England's New Zealand tour befor...