England captain Ben Stokes will retire from international cricket at the end of the ongoing third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. The 35-year-old all-rounder made the announcement during a bowling spell on Sunday afternoon, the fourth day of the match.
Emotional Dressing Room Speech
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) released a video of Stokes revealing the news to his teammates before play on the fourth day. In an emotional speech in the dressing room in Nottingham, Stokes said: 'There's something that I know is going to happen over the next two days, which is that this is my last two days as your captain and my last two days representing England.' He added: 'Reasons can wait why, 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. And the only thing that I ask, please, is can everyone please do the same.'
Career Achievements
Stokes made his international debut in 2011 and will finish with 122 Test matches, 114 ODIs, and 43 T20Is for England. He played a pivotal role in England's Cricket World Cup victory in 2019 and the T20 World Cup win in 2022. Stokes was named ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2019 and ICC Test Cricketer of the Year in 2022. His unbeaten 135 in the 2019 Ashes Test at Headingley and his performance in the 2019 World Cup final are among the most memorable moments of his career.
ECB Tributes
Richard Thompson, ECB Chair, said: '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 me and millions of other fans memories that will endure forever.' ECB CEO Richard Gould added: 'Ben Stokes has made an immeasurable contribution to English cricket, not only through his exceptional skill as one of the world's finest all-rounders, but through the commitment, resilience and passion he has demonstrated throughout his international career.'
Final Days as Captain
Stokes urged his teammates to give their all in the remaining two days of the Test, saying: 'We've got a lot of hard work still to do and the only thing that I want is to be able to walk off that field, regardless of the result, knowing that I've had this group of men and one lady, give everything for the last two days.' The announcement comes after Stokes missed the second Test of the series following an incident at a London nightclub.
