England captain Ben Stokes will retire from international cricket after the third Test against New Zealand

England captain Ben Stokes will retire from international cricket after the third Test against New Zealand, the team has announced.

“These are my last two days as your captain and my last two days representing England,” Stokes told his England teammates in the dressing room at the start of the game at Trent Bridge on Sunday, 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.

“Reasons can wait,” Stokes said in his dressing room speech. “But I’ve had a lot of trips to the well for this team before, and I have another trip coming up.”

Stokes talks about the nightclub incident

English cricket captain Ben Stokes speaks to the media for the first time since he was banned from playing following an incident at a nightclub.

It ends Stokes’ 15-year international career, which peaked when he played for England in defeating New Zealand in the 50-over World Cup final in 2019.

He was also a key member of the English 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 ruled him out of the second Test amid an investigation after partying with teammate Gus Atkinson after the first Test at Lord’s.

Both players were in a London nightclub when the Saracens rugby player reportedly punched an England security officer.

The England and Wales Cricket Board dropped Stokes and Atkinson and later said they had “breached specific contractual obligations” and received written warnings.

The Independent Sports Oversight Group, cricket’s governing body, said after an investigation that there was “insufficient evidence to establish that any breach of regulatory requirements had occurred.”

Stokes was recalled for the third Test.

ECB chairman Richard Thompson said Stokes was “one of the greatest cricketers in England’s history and one of the defining figures of his generation.”

“His 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,” Thompson said.

“Apart 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.”

AP

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