Ben Stokes has never done anything quietly in his cricket career. He didn’t arrive quietly, he didn’t captain quietly, and he certainly wasn’t going to leave quietly either. On Sunday, the England skipper stunned the cricket world by announcing that the ongoing third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge would be his final appearance in international cricket. After 122 Tests, 114 ODIs and 43 T20Is across a remarkable 15-year career, Stokes decided it was time to walk away from the international stage.
Stokes wasn’t in the peak of his career. Still, the timing took everyone by surprise. England are in the middle of a series decider, and Stokes remains one of the most influential cricketers in the world. But according to the 35-year-old, the decision had been brewing for months.
The all-rounder had been thinking about retiring while he was under investigation for violating the midnight curfew rule. But the ECB let Stokes and Gus Atkinson off with just a one-match ban. After that, he came back as skipper and captained England in the 3rd Test against New Zealand.
Ashes scars and burnout pushed Stokes towards retirement
Many have linked Stokes’ retirement to the nightclub controversy that saw him dropped for the second Test against New Zealand. However, the England captain made it clear that there’s much more to it. In fact, the decision stretched a long time, and perhaps the nightclub episode was the final nail in the coffin.
The change of heart, according to Stokes, came after England’s crushing Ashes defeat in Australia earlier this year. The physical demands of being England’s premier all-rounder, coupled with the pressures of captaincy, slowly began to take their toll.
“It might sound quite selfish but this decision is genuinely the best thing for me right now,” Stokes told Sky Sports. “I hope it’s the best thing for the team going forward but I also hope it’s what will allow me to keep loving this game that has given me so much.”
“The Lord’s Test, for me, was something that brought back negative feelings about where I was in my career. I’d worked so hard since getting home after the Ashes loss to put things right, or at least that’s what I thought I was doing. I put so much time and effort into doing that and I just burnt myself out.”
Stokes also admitted that events over the last few weeks only reinforced what he already knew.
“There was a build-up to it, how things were during the whole week at Lord’s and then another moment when I sat next to Joe Root in the dressing room. Obviously another scenario happened that added to it. It’s never easy with me, is it? It was an unfortunate situation to be involved in over the past two weeks.”
Stokes to play County for Durham
Fascinatingly, Stokes felt something when he played one County game for Durham amidst all this mess. During his suspension from the second Test, Stokes returned to represent Durham, the county where his professional journey began. Away from the spotlight and scrutiny of international cricket, he rediscovered something he felt had been missing.
“Being back at Durham, when I wasn’t playing in the second Test, I found a new lease of life for the game, but unfortunately I just couldn’t get that feeling back this week.”
“I’m very excited about the next part of what I get to do. Going back to playing for my boyhood club, Durham, I’m comparing this week to that week. Right now I am buzzing, but there have been moments this week that have been really tough and it just adds to everything and it makes it clear that I’ve made the right decision.”
Fittingly, Stokes’ farewell was obviously going to involve drama. He was the enforcer, like he has always been. Moments after the ECB confirmed his retirement, he made an immediate impact with the ball, striking with his very first delivery. Later, in pursuit of a daunting 373, he took it upon himself to open the batting and unleashed a rapid 30 off just 20 balls. Now, England face a series loss to New Zealand, who need just six wickets on last day to win the important series 2-1.
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