Ben Stokes, speaking on a two-hour podcast with former teammates Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler, says he feels "chilled right now" about his retirement from international cricket, but he expressed concerns about Joe Root's potential return as England Test captain and hinted at undisclosed factors behind his decision.
Stokes at Peace with Retirement
Stokes, who retired from England duty five weeks ago, sounded at peace with his decision. He confirmed he is "definitely" retired, ruling out a U-turn for the home Ashes next summer. He admitted he put "way too much" on his own shoulders as captain and that the team could have communicated better during the Ashes defeat in Australia.
He also spoke openly about cricket's drinking culture, saying it has "been the same since the 1980s" and is out of step with increased professionalism.
Concerns for Joe Root
Discussing his successor, Stokes said he worries about Root re-entering an "unhealthy relationship" with the job, as he did at the end of his first spell. "He just always puts the team first and he always comes second," Stokes said. "That's my only concern with it, knowing what he went through last time. Because I don't want to see that ever happen again. I care for Joe a lot."
Stokes felt Harry Brook should have been promoted from vice-captain and questioned the message sent when Brook did not step up during Stokes' suspension.
Unanswered Questions
Stokes sidestepped questions about the curfew incident with Gus Atkinson and hinted at other factors behind his retirement: "I'm not going to lie and say that there might have been some other things that contributed to the decision. But I'm not here today to go into all that detail. I think there's a time and a place for that." He added, "I don't want to come across as bitter towards anyone yet. Cause I'm chilled right now."
He also suggested that Brendon McCullum might still be Test head coach had he not retired, but his reasoning was not explored.
