Former captain Ben Stokes aspires to become England’s coach in the future. At the same time, Stokes has clearly stated that he has retired for good. Discussing his long-term goals, the former captain also ruled out any possibility of returning to international cricket during the 2027 Ashes series.

Speaking on the ‘For the Love of Cricket’ podcast hosted by former teammates Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler, Stokes said, “I know what I want to do to stay involved in the game, and that is to become a coach. I am currently pursuing my Level 3 coaching course while still playing because I want all my coaching qualifications to be complete by the time I retire. Would I like to become England’s coach one day? Absolutely. I really like the idea of ​​being in a leadership role away from the actual playing side of things.”

Stokes wanted Brook to take over as captain

Backing Harry Brook, Stokes remarked that Brook could have taken over as captain; Brook was named Stokes’s deputy for the Test squad during the previous winter’s Ashes tour, yet Joe Root was handed the role instead, a decision that surprised Stokes.

Ben Stokes said, “If you think someone will make a good captain or leader, you should just give them the responsibility. I understood the reasoning, but I still wondered—what message does that send him? He is the vice-captain. The captain isn’t playing, yet he doesn’t step up to lead. What kind of sense does that make? I really like Rooty (Joe Root). I only wish him success. I hope he does a fantastic job as captain. I think he’ll really enjoy working with Flem (Stephen Fleming). He’s a great guy; I’ve worked with Flem before.”

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