Ben Stokes brought a stunning end to his 15-year international career on 28 June, announcing his retirement from cricket mid-match during the fourth day of England’s third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, with the announcement released while he was in the middle of a bowling spell.
The 35-year-old all-rounder, widely regarded as one of the finest cricketers ever to represent England, informed his team-mates of his decision before the start of the fourth day of the series decider against the Black Caps. He will step down as Test captain at the conclusion of the match.
Clearly emotional as he addressed the England dressing room, Stokes kept his reasons brief. “The reasons can wait, but I’ve had many trips to the well before for this team, for you blokes, for people beforehand, and I’ve got one more trip to do. The only thing I ask is can everyone do the same. We’ve got a lot of hard work to do and the only thing I want is to be able to walk off that field, regardless of the result, knowing that I’ve had this group give everything for the last two days. I’ve got the emotional side out of it. Now it’s time to go to work. Please, everyone else come with me.”
Stokes had missed England’s second Test at The Oval after the ECB and Cricket Regulator investigated an incident at a Chelsea nightclub following their win at Lord’s. He was handed a written warning but cleared of any further wrongdoing, returning to lead the side in Nottingham for the series decider while referring only to leading the team “this week.”
He made his white-ball debut in 2011 and his Test debut during the 2013/14 Ashes series in Australia, going on to captain the Test side from April 2022. Across 122 Tests he scored 7,243 runs at an average of 34.49, with 14 centuries and a high score of 258, while taking 251 wickets at 31.09. In 114 ODIs he scored 3,463 runs and claimed 74 wickets, having also played 43 T20 internationals.
ECB chair Richard Thompson paid tribute. “Ben Stokes leaves the international game as one of England’s greatest ever cricketers and one of the defining figures of his generation. His performances under pressure, his relentless competitiveness and his ability to produce the extraordinary when it matters most have given millions of fans memories that will endure forever. Whether inspiring victory in the biggest moments, driving England to World Cup wins in 2019 and 2022 or his heroic Ashes innings at Headingley, or leading the Test team with courage and conviction, Ben has been a talismanic figure. We are losing a batsman, a bowler, a captain and a talisman.”
