Joe Root dismissed suggestions of a drinking culture within the England cricket team as he prepares to captain the side in the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval. Speaking ahead of Wednesday's match, Root said he doesn't believe an alcohol ban is necessary despite recent off-field controversies.

The comments come after Ben Stokes and teammate Gus Atkinson were dropped from the squad following a nightclub incident that occurred after England's first Test victory at Lord's. Stokes faces investigation after reportedly being present when a security staff member was struck by a Saracens rugby player.

Root, who handed captaincy to Stokes over four years ago, acknowledged mistakes have been made but emphasized the team works incredibly hard under pressure. He stated Stokes feels he has let himself down and is in a good place mentally, while maintaining the incident doesn't reflect the dressing room culture.

England's director of cricket Rob Key previously indicated the ECB was considering an alcohol ban following the Ashes tour scrutiny. Root will assess his interim captaincy on a game-by-game basis, praising the team's bowler-dominated performance at Lord's and expressing excitement about leading this group.