England captain Ben Stokes has announced he will retire from international cricket at the end of the ongoing third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, bringing an extraordinary 15 year career to a close.
The announcement came while the 35 year old all rounder was bowling during England’s second innings on Sunday. Moments later, Stokes produced another memorable chapter in his career by dismissing Zak Foulkes with the very first ball after his retirement became public. Harry Brook took the catch at second slip as the Trent Bridge crowd rose to applaud their captain.
Before the start of play on the fourth day, Stokes informed his England team mates about his decision in an emotional dressing room address.
“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 that I ask, please, 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.
“That’s the only thing I want, for everyone to give it not only for me, selfishly, but also for this team.
“I’ve got the emotional side out of it, now it’s time to go to work. Please, everyone else come with me.”
Stokes’ retirement comes only weeks after he returned from a suspension linked to a London nightclub incident. He had missed the second Test against New Zealand before leading England again at Trent Bridge.
One of England’s greatest match winners
Stokes leaves the international game as one of England’s finest all round cricketers. Since making his debut in 2011, he has played 122 Tests, 114 One Day Internationals and 43 Twenty20 Internationals.
His Test record currently stands at 7,243 runs and 252 wickets. Only Sir Garfield Sobers and Jacques Kallis achieved the same all round double in Test cricket. Stokes also holds the record for 136 sixes in Test matches.
His greatest achievements came during the unforgettable summer of 2019. First, he scored a match winning 84 in the dramatic Cricket World Cup final against New Zealand, helping England lift the trophy for the first time. Just six weeks later, he produced an unbeaten 135 against Australia at Headingley to complete one of the greatest Ashes victories in history. Those performances earned him the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
Bazball era transformed England’s Test cricket
Stokes also changed England’s Test approach after becoming captain in 2022 alongside head coach Brendon McCullum. Their aggressive style, widely known as Bazball, revived a struggling team that had won only one of its previous 17 Tests.
England won 10 of their first 11 Tests under the new leadership. Stokes finished with a Test captaincy win rate of almost 56 percent, England’s best in 45 years.
His career also included difficult moments. He missed the 2017 Ashes after the Bristol affray case, later receiving acquittal. In 2021, he stepped away from cricket to focus on his mental wellbeing following the death of his father and other personal challenges. He also battled several serious injuries, including long term knee problems and a fractured cheek earlier this year.
England are now expected to appoint vice captain Harry Brook as Stokes’ successor before the upcoming Test series against Pakistan in August.
