Ben Stokes says New Zealand Test will be his last for England
The England Test captain told teammates at Trent Bridge he will retire from international cricket after the series decider against New Zealand.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Ben Stokes told England teammates on Sunday that the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge will be his final match in international cricket. The announcement, made during a deciding Test with the series level at 1-1, would close a 15-year England career that included World Cup wins and the Test captaincy.
In a dressing-room video released by England Cricket, Stokes said he had two days left as captain and as an England player. The Associated Press reported that he spoke to the squad at the start of play on Day 4, with the match due to continue into a fifth day on Monday.
Stokes did not give a full explanation for the decision in the video. “The reasons can wait [about] why,” he told teammates, adding that he had one more effort left to give the side.
Announcement during series decider
According to the AP, Stokes made the announcement about 15 minutes before tea on Sunday. He took a wicket soon after and received a standing ovation when he led England from the field at the interval.
The match against New Zealand is the third and final Test of the series. England and New Zealand entered it tied at one win each, leaving the result at Trent Bridge to decide the contest.
Stokes, 35, has been one of England’s leading all-format players, according to the AP. His career peak came in 2019, when he played a central role in England’s 50-over World Cup final win over New Zealand at Lord’s.
He was also part of England’s T20 World Cup-winning team in 2022. That same year, he became England’s Test captain.
Recent disciplinary case
The retirement announcement followed a turbulent stretch earlier in the series. The AP reported that England left out Stokes and teammate Gus Atkinson for the second Test after an investigation connected to a night out following the first Test at Lord’s.
The AP reported that the two players were at a London nightclub when an England team security official was reportedly struck by a rugby player from Saracens. The England and Wales Cricket Board later said Stokes and Atkinson had “breached specific contractual obligations” and had received written warnings.
The Cricket Regulator, the sport’s independent oversight body, said after its investigation that there was “insufficient evidence to establish that any regulatory breach occurred.” Stokes was then brought back into the England side for the third Test, according to the AP.
Tributes from the ECB
ECB chairman Richard Thompson called Stokes “one of England’s greatest ever cricketers and one of the defining figures of his generation.”
Thompson praised Stokes’s record in pressure moments and said his career had given fans lasting memories. He added that England were losing “a batsman, a bowler, a captain and a talisman.”
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.