England captain Ben Stokes surprised the cricket world By announcing his retirement from international cricket during the third Test against New Zealand. The all-rounder later revealed that burnout and the recent nightclub controversy played a major role in his decision to step away from international cricket.
Stokes announced his retirement on the fourth day of the Test before the tea break at Trent Bridge on Sunday, 29 June. The left-handed batsman encouraged himself to open the batting in England’s chase of 373 runs. He scored a quickfire 30 from 20 balls before being dismissed by Jack Foulkes in his final international innings.
I just burnt myself – Ben Stokes explains why he retired from international cricket
Ben Stokes dismissed suggestions that his retirement was linked to recent disciplinary action or his suspension for the second Test at the Oval. He said the decision had been in the works for several months and was not influenced by recent events.
The England captain revealed that the turning point came during the Ashes tour of Australia, where England lost the series 4-1. Stokes admitted that returning to Lord’s for the opening Test brought back difficult memories and made him realize how mentally exhausted he was.
“The Lord’s Test, for me, was something that brought back negative feelings about where I was in my career. Since getting home I’ve worked very hard to get things right, or at least I thought that’s what I was doing. I put a lot of time and effort into doing that and I burned myself out.”
It’s never easy with me – Ben Stokes on nightclub controversy
Ben Stokes said the recent nightclub controversy was not the main reason behind his retirement, but admitted it added to an already difficult phase in his career. He said that the events at Lord’s and the weeks that followed had left him mentally exhausted.
“There was a build-up to it, how things were throughout the week at Lord’s and then another moment when I was sitting next to Joe Root in the dressing room. Obviously another scenario happened that added to it. It’s never easy for me, is it? It was an unfortunate situation to be involved in over the last two weeks.”
Stokes retired as one of England’s greatest all-rounders. He won the ODI and T20 World Cups, captained England to 24 wins in 44 Test matches and finished his Test career with over 7,000 runs, over 250 wickets, 14 centuries and six five-wicket hauls.
Coming back to Durham… I got a new chance at life” – Ben Stokes on his future
Stokes said returning to Durham during his suspension from the second Test helped him reconnect with cricket. He admitted that he could not feel the same feeling again after returning to the England team, which convinced him that retirement was the right decision.
“Coming back to Durham, when I wasn’t playing in the second Test, I got a new lease of life to the game, but unfortunately I couldn’t get that feeling back this week. I’m buzzing now, but there have been moments this week that have been really tough and it all adds up.”
Before publicly announcing his retirement, Stokes informed his teammates in the dressing room. He acknowledged that the decision was personal but believed it would help him continue to enjoy cricket.
“It may seem quite selfish but this decision is really the best thing for me right now. I hope it’s the best thing for the team moving forward, but I also hope it keeps me loving this game that has given me so much.”
