England captain Ben Stokes to retire from international cricket after Trent Bridge Test vs NZ
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "England captain Ben Stokes to retire from international cricket after Trent Bridge Test vs NZ")
Stokes announces shock international retirement after Trent Bridge Test vs NZ Photograph: (Others)
England captain Ben Stokes has announced a shock retirement from international cricket, confirming he will step down after the ongoing Trent Bridge Test against New Zealand.
In a shocking turn of events, England Test captain Ben Stokes announced his decision to retire from international cricket after the end of the ongoing third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. Midway through the fourth day of the decisive Test, Stokes, who returned to leading England following the nightclub incident after the series opener at Lord’s, decided to relinquish Test captaincy and walk away from international cricket.
England Cricket’s social media handles broke this news on Sunday evening (Jun 28).
“One of England's all-time greatest captains, Ben Stokes, has decided to retire from international cricket at the end of this Test match.
Ben, you have been the most inspirational captain, leader and legend this team could have ever hoped for.
We love you so much and wish you all the best in your retirement❤️
England will never be the same again,” their social media note read.
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The handle also uploaded a video of Stokes breaking this news to his teammates inside the dressing room, revealing the next two days, including the ongoing fourth day, would be his last as their captain and as an English cricketer.
Time to say goodbye to international cricket
Stokes will bring curtains down on his decorated 15-year-old international career, wherein he won the 2019 ODI World Cup at home, playing the protagonist in the dramatic final at Lord’s. He had also won the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, scoring a clinical fifty in the final against Pakistan at the iconic MCG.
Besides winning major ICC tournaments, Stokes’ greatest knock came during the 2019 Leeds Test, when he single-handedly won the game for his team with one wicket remaining. The drama around that finish puts him on a pedestal, enlarging his legacy as one of the most influential English cricketers of the 21st century.
Stokes' Last Hurray and controversy
Meanwhile, at the ongoing Test in Nottingham, Stokes is bowling his heart out, trying to restrict New Zealand, who have lost eight wickets for 234, leading by 318 runs and counting.
However, earlier, Stokes and his teammate Gus Atkinson were suspended indefinitely for breaching the ECB’s midnight curfew. After England won at Lord’s, Stokes and Atkinson went partying in a Chelsea club, where they reportedly indulged in a physical brawl, leaving England security bloodied.
The ECB and Cricket Regulator conducted independent probes into the matter, with both coming out clean.
While that was happening in the background, the English selectors dropped the pair from the squad for the second Test, which they lost horrendously by 253 runs.
The two, however, were asked to play for their respective County clubs, and while they did so, impressing all, the selectors withdrew them from those matches. Later, Stokes and Atkinson were made available for selection for the third Test and eventually returned to the setup.
In the meantime, several reports suggested that Stokes did contemplate international retirement and relinquishing Test captaincy, only for him to come back and then announce the same publicly.
