England captain Ben Stokes has announced his retirement from international cricket, with the ongoing third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge being his final match in England colours. The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has taken to social media to make the announcement official.
“One of England’s all-time greatest captains, Ben Stokes, has decided to retire from international cricket at the end of this Test match. Ben, you have been the most inspirational captain, leader and legend this team could have ever hoped for. We love you so much and wish you all the best in your retirement. England will never be the same again,” the ECB posted on X on June 28 (Sunday).
Stokes bowled unchanged between lunch and tea on Day 4, bowling 11 overs on the trot.
An all-time great
It is understood that Stokes informed his teammates in the dressing room ahead of the fourth day’s play in Nottingham. Stokes is one of England’s finest cricketers and only the second all-rounder to the double of 7,000 runs and 250 wickets.
He has led England in 44 Tests, having won 24 of them. Only Joe Root (27) and Michael Vaughan (26) have won more matches as England captain.
In white-ball cricket, Stokes played a pivotal role in helping England to their maiden ODI World Cup title at home in 2019 and also the T20 World Cup in 2022.
Overall, he has scored over 11,000 runs for England across formats and with the ball, he has struck 352 times. He is one of just five cricketers in the world to do the double of 11,000 runs and 350 wickets in international cricket.
The ECB is yet to announce a successor to Stokes. Harry Brook is the vice-captain and is likely to take over after this match.
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