Hyderabad: England captain and star all-rounder Ben Stokes has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable 15-year career. The 35-year-old will retire after the conclusion of the ongoing Test match against New Zealand national cricket team at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.
The announcement came as a major surprise to the cricketing world, with the England skipper making the emotional revelation during the ongoing Test. The England and Wales Cricket Board later confirmed the decision in an official statement, describing Stokes as one of England’s greatest captains and inspirational leaders.
Emotional farewell from England captain
In a heartfelt message to his teammates, Stokes said he had one final effort left to give for the team.
“The reasons can wait, why, but I’ve had many trips to the well before for this team, for you blokes, for people beforehand, and I’ve got one more trip to do.”
He urged his teammates to give their all in the remainder of the Test match and said he wanted to walk off the field knowing that everyone had given their maximum effort.
The emotional speech highlighted the deep bond Stokes shares with the England dressing room and reflected his commitment to the national team throughout his career.
A career defined by iconic moments
Stokes will be remembered as one of England’s greatest match-winners and one of the finest all-rounders of his generation. His performances in crucial matches have become part of cricketing folklore.
One of his most memorable innings came during the final of the 2019 Cricket World Cup Final, where his unbeaten 84 helped England secure their maiden ODI World Cup title in dramatic fashion.
Just six weeks later, Stokes produced another legendary knock, scoring an unbeaten 135 against Australia in the third Test of the 2019 Ashes series at Headingley. The innings is widely regarded as one of the greatest in Test cricket history and almost single-handedly kept England alive in the series.
Impressive numbers across formats
Stokes leaves the international stage with an outstanding record across all three formats.
In Test cricket, he has played 122 matches, scoring 7,243 runs and taking 251 wickets. As captain, he led England in 44 Tests, winning 24 matches, losing 17 and drawing two, giving him an impressive win percentage of 58.53 per cent.
In One-Day Internationals, Stokes represented England in 114 matches, amassing 3,463 runs and taking 74 wickets. He also played a crucial role in England’s triumph in the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
In T20 Internationals, the all-rounder featured in 43 matches, scoring 585 runs and claiming 26 wickets.
End of an era for England cricket
Stokes’ retirement marks the end of one of the most influential chapters in modern English cricket. Since taking over the captaincy, he transformed England’s approach to Test cricket with an aggressive and fearless style that revitalised the team.
Tributes have already begun pouring in from former cricketers and fans across the world, many hailing him as one of England’s greatest-ever cricketers and captains.
As he prepares to play the final days of his international career, the cricketing world will bid farewell to a player whose passion, resilience and ability to perform under pressure made him a true modern-day legend.