England captain, Ben Stokes, has announced he will retire from international cricket after the conclusion of the ongoing third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, ending a distinguished 15-year career.
The announcement came during the fourth day of the decisive Test in Nottingham, with Stokes confirming to his teammates before play that the match would be his final appearance for England.
In a remarkable twist, the 35-year-old claimed a wicket with the very first delivery he bowled after news of his retirement became public, dismissing Zak Foulkes, who was caught at second slip.
Emotional farewell to teammates
An emotional Stokes addressed the England dressing room before play, urging his teammates to give everything in his final match.
“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.
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“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.”
With England chasing a target of 373 runs for victory, Stokes promoted himself to open the batting. He scored a quickfire 30 from 20 balls before being dismissed by Zak Foulkes after edging a delivery to Daryl Mitchell.
Career defined by unforgettable moments
Stokes leaves international cricket as one of England’s greatest all-rounders and among the most influential cricketers of his generation.
His defining year came in 2019 when he inspired England to their first-ever Cricket World Cup title with a match-winning innings against New Zealand in the final. Just weeks later, he produced one of the greatest innings in Test cricket history, scoring an unbeaten 135 to lead England to an extraordinary Ashes victory over Australia at Headingley.
Over his international career, Stokes played 122 Test matches, captaining England in 44 of them. He also represented his country in 114 One-Day Internationals and 43 Twenty20 Internationals, including England’s successful T20 World Cup campaign in 2022.
His Test record includes 7,273 runs and 252 wickets, making him one of only a handful of players to achieve such an outstanding all-round double. He also finishes with a Test-record 136 sixes for England.
Injuries and off-field challenges
Stokes’ career was also marked by significant challenges.
In 2017, he was charged with affray following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub before later being cleared. The case caused him to miss England’s Ashes tour that year.
He also stepped away from cricket in 2021 to prioritise his mental wellbeing after the death of his father, Ged, and the emotional toll of previous events.
Recurring injuries, including a long-term knee problem and a broken cheek suffered earlier this year while coaching Durham’s academy, also affected the latter stages of his career.
More recently, Stokes missed England’s second Test against New Zealand after being involved in an incident at a London nightclub. He returned for the series decider after both he and fast bowler Gus Atkinson were cleared to play.
Speaking before the Nottingham Test, Stokes admitted apologising to his teammates over the incident but declined to comment on whether he felt supported by the England and Wales Cricket Board during the process.
England prepare for new era
Stokes had previously hinted that retirement was becoming an increasingly difficult decision.
“The England captaincy is one of those things where I’m 35 now and, even before this stuff all happened, I thought, ‘Could I ever see myself playing for England and not being captain?’
“It’s a question I’ve never really been able to answer, because it’s been such a big part of this part of my career.
“You look at others who have stepped away from captaincy and kept playing – I don’t really know. I love playing for England. I love being captain of this team and that’s where I’m at with everything.”
England are expected to appoint vice-captain Harry Brook as Stokes’ successor ahead of the next Test series against Pakistan at Headingley in August.
