Updated June 29, 2026 โ 1:45 amfirst publication at 0:48
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England captain Ben Stokes made the dramatic decision on Sunday (England time) to announce his imminent retirement from international cricket midway through the crucial third Test against New Zealand.
โThese are my last two days as your captain and my last two days representing England,โ Stokes told his England team-mates in the dressing room at the start of the game at Trent Bridge on day four in a video posted on social media by England Cricket.
The match will go into the fifth and final day on Monday with the score tied at 1-1.
The shocking announcement came 15 minutes before the tea break. Moments later, Stokes picked up his wicket and received a standing ovation as he led England off the field at the end of the session.
โReasons can wait,โ Stokes said in his dressing room speech. โBut Iโve had a lot of trips to the well for this team before, and I have another trip coming up.โ
Stokes, one of the worldโs best-known cricketers, represented England for 15 years, the highlight of which is sure to come in 2019 when he played for England in a stunning victory over New Zealand in the 50-over World Cup final at Lordโs.
England captain Ben Stokes is given a guard of honor as he enters the final session after announcing his retirement from the national team.Getty Images
He was also a key member of the England team that won the T20 World Cup in 2022, the same year he became captain of the Test team.
Stokes decided to quit international cricket during the series when he made headlines after England abandoned the second Test amid an investigation after partying with teammate Gus Atkinson after the first Test at Lordโs.
Both players were in a London nightclub when England security were reportedly knocked down by a Saracens rugby player.
The England and Wales Cricket Board dropped Stokes and Atkinson and later said they had โbreached specific contractual obligationsโ and received written warnings. The Independent Sports Oversight Group, cricketโs governing body, said after an investigation that there was โinsufficient evidence to establish that any breach of regulatory requirements had occurred.โ
Stokes was recalled for the third Test.
ECB chairman Richard Thompson said Stokes was โone of the greatest cricketers in Englandโs history and one of the defining figures of his generation.โ
โHis performance under pressure, his relentless competitiveness and his ability to produce extraordinary things when it matters most have given me and millions of other fans memories that will last forever,โ Thompson said.
โApart from his outstanding achievements on the field, his performances have inspired many young people to approach cricket with positivity and faith. We are losing a batsman, a bowler, a captain and a talisman.โ
AP, Reuters
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