Ben Stokes, England test captain, to retire from international cricket | Cricket News

England Test captain Ben Stokes has retired from international cricket after the Test match against New Zealand.

England captain Ben Stokes has made a surprise announcement announcing his retirement from international cricket in the middle of the third Test against New Zealand.

“These are my last two days as your captain and my last two days representing England,” Stokes told his England teammates inside the dressing room on Sunday at the start of the match at Trent Bridge on Day 4, in a video released on TV by England Cricket.

The match is set to reach its fifth and final day on Monday, with the series tied at 1-1.

The shocking announcement came 15 minutes before the tea break. Stokes took a wicket moments later and stood up as England led the way at the end of the session.

“Reasons can wait (for) reasons,” Stokes said in his dressing room speech. “But I’ve had a lot of trips to the well for this team and I have one more trip to make.”

The 35-year-old Stokes, one of the world’s best players, has represented England for 15 years, culminating in 2019 when he played for England in their shock win over New Zealand in the 50-over World Cup final at Lord’s.

He was also a key player in the England T20 team that won the World Cup in 2022, the same year he became Test manager.

Stokes decided to retire from international cricket in the series when he made front page news after being dropped by England in the second test amid a late-night interview with teammate Gus Atkinson after the first test at Lord’s.

The two players were in a night club in London when a security officer for the England team says they were assaulted by a rugby player from the England Saracens team.

The England and Wales Cricket Board dropped Stokes and Atkinson, and later said they had “breached the terms of the contract” and were given written warnings. The independent body that oversees the game – the Cricket Regulator – found that “there is no sufficient evidence to prove that a violation of the rules took place.”

Stokes was recalled for the third Test.

ECB chairman Richard Thompson said Stokes was “one of England’s greatest players and one of the greatest figures of his generation.”

“His performance under pressure, his relentless competitiveness and his ability to create surprises when it matters most have given me and millions of other fans memories that will last forever,” said Thompson.

Apart from his achievements on the field, his performances have inspired many youngsters to start accepting cricket with faith.