Ben Stokes has announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket. The all-rounder hadn’t played ODI cricket since November 2023 and T20I cricket since November 22. However, Stokes continued to play and captain England in Test cricket. On June 28, midway through the third New Zealand Test at Trent Bridge, the 35-year-old decided to hang up his boots.
His legacy will be defined by the 2019 ODI World Cup campaign, where he performed miracles in the field and with the bat. Later in the year, Stokes pulled off one of the greatest chases in Test cricket history at Headingley against Australia in the Ashes. As he bids cricket adieu, let’s dive into his crowning achievement of revolutionising England’s Test cricket.
Ben Stokes’ captaincy record in Test cricket
Stokes first captained England in 2020. Joe Root was on paternity leave, and the all-rounder subbed in for him against the West Indies for two Test matches. He took over as permanent Test captain in June 2022, before announcing his retirement and ending his stint with a loss in June 2026.
| Matches | Won | Lost | Draw | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | 24 | 18 | 2 | 54.54 |
Ben Stokes’ captaincy record in Test cricket as permanent captain (with Brendon McCullum)
Alongside head coach Brendon McCullum, Stokes became one of the greatest Test captains for England. He won 24 of 42 matches. No one who’s led England in over 40 Test matches has a better winning percentage. His record improves if he excludes the two West Indies Tests.
| Matches | Won | Lost | Draw | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 24 | 16 | 2 | 57.14 |
Ben Stokes’ captaincy record in ODI cricket
In July 2021, Stokes made his ODI captaincy debut for England. Due to the COVID pandemic, England’s original team was revamped to an 18-man squad. The all-rounder wasn’t initially part of the team but led them to a 3-0 sweep against Pakistan at home. After that, he never captained in 50-over cricket.
| Matches | Won | Lost | No Result | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
Ben Stokes’ overall captaincy record for England
Only Eoin Morgan and Mike Brearley have a better captaincy record for England across formats than Stokes, with a sample size of at least 40 matches. The former won 118 of 198 matches in white-ball cricket, while the latter ended with a 33-13 record in Test and ODI cricket.
| Matches | Won | Lost | Draw | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 | 27 | 18 | 2 | 57.44 |
