Ben Stokes has announced his retirement from international cricket, citing burnout as the primary reason for stepping away from the sport. The England Test captain revealed his decision during the ongoing Trent Bridge Test match against New Zealand, a move that surprised teammates and fans alike.
Doubts about his future first surfaced on the eve of the series against New Zealand and re-emerged after the first Test win at Lord's. The 35-year-old stated that while captaining England has been the "best thing" he has ever been asked to do, the emotional and physical energy required had taken its toll, particularly after recovering from a broken cheekbone and the team's Ashes campaign.
"The whole Lord's Test to me brought back some kind of negative feelings about where I was in my career and I'd worked so hard from getting back home to try to make things right," Stokes said. "That's what I thought I was doing. And I put so much time and effort into it, I basically burnt myself out."
Stokes described feeling a mix of relief, happiness, excitement, and sadness upon announcing the end of his international career, which began in 2011. He noted that the act of putting on his pads to prepare for a match on the third day of the current Test was the "last nail in the coffin."
In a characteristic display, Stokes continued to participate in the match after his announcement. He took a wicket with his first ball and later opened the batting, scoring a rapid 30 off 19 balls. He received a guard of honour from opponents and umpires as he walked to the crease.
Stokes' international career is marked by significant achievements, including being one of only two Test cricketers, alongside South Africa's Jacques Kallis, to score 7,000 runs and take 250 wickets. He played a pivotal role in England's 2019 World Cup victory and their dramatic Ashes win at Headingley the same year. He also captained the team during the early stages of the "Bazball" era, achieving 10 wins in his first 11 matches as captain and contributing to a total of 24 wins in 43 matches.
The decision comes after a period of scrutiny for Stokes, who had missed the previous Test at the Oval while under investigation for an incident in a Chelsea nightclub following England's win at Lord's. While cleared by the Cricket Regulator and ECB, both Stokes and another player received written warnings about future conduct.
Stokes informed his teammates before play on the fourth day, delivering an emotional address urging them to give their all for the remainder of the match. He expressed his intention to continue playing for Durham in county cricket, indicating that a recent County Championship match had rekindled his love for the game.