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England vs New Zealand The third and final Test match is going on at Trent Bridge, the series between the two teams is tied at 1-1. The England national cricket team has suffered a major setback. Their captain Ben Stokes will announce his retirement from the traditional format of the game after this Test match and will also step down from the captaincy.
In the recent Test match, Ben Stokes achieved a rare feat by joining hands with Jacques Kallis, and became the second cricketer to score more than 7,000 runs and take 250 wickets in Test cricket. This decision will be shocking for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as he has been an integral part of the team in Test cricket.
Ben Stokes has retired from international cricket
This is a sudden decision taken by Ben Stokes, as the star all-rounder has recently returned to the team after serving punishment in the nightclub incident controversy. Ben Stokes will retire from international cricket after the conclusion of the current Test, as he shared this information with his teammates before the start of the game today.
Ben Stokes, one of England’s all-time great captains, has decided to retire from international cricket at the end of this Test match.
Ben, you have been the most inspirational captain, leader and legend this team could have ever asked for.
We love you very much and wish you… pic.twitter.com/U5grq0F0kj
– England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 28, 2026
He said, “I know something is going to happen in the next two days, which is… This is my last two days as your captain, and my last two days as an England representative. The reasons can wait. Why? But, I have made many journeys before for this team, for you guys, for the people, and I have to make another journey.”
“I want to be able to walk to the end of the field regardless of the result” – Ben Stokes shares emotional message
Ben Stokes further said that in the last two days of his last Test match, the star all-rounder wants to do everything possible to try and win the Test match and also wants his team to perform in the same way.
In his pre-match press conference, Stokes did not rule out the idea that the ongoing third Test at Trent Bridge could be his last, and is said to have informed his teammates and the ECB of his decision on Sunday morning before the game. During the match, he bowled 11 overs out of 23 overs bowled in the second session.
“And the only thing I ask is, please, can everybody do the same? We still have a lot of hard work to do, and the only thing I want is to be able to walk to the end of that field regardless of the outcome, knowing that I have this group of men, and one woman.”
“Give everything for the last two days, and the only thing I want is for everyone to give it, not just for my own selfish sake, but for this team, and everything else that we’ve done going forward for you guys.”
“Give absolutely everything for the next two days” – Ben Stokes wants to give everything possible in the last two days of his international career
Stokes played a key role in many of the country’s most famous victories, including his unbeaten 84 in the 2019 ODI World Cup final against New Zealand and his incredible unbeaten 135 at Headingley in the Ashes later that summer. He also completed his career-best Test score of 258 runs against South Africa in Cape Town in 2016.
He said, “So much pressure, all the emotions, all that kind of stuff, please can we just wait for this game to be over? Because we still have a lot of work to do. And I’ve got a lot of work to do that I want to do, so… let’s just go out there and go all out for the next two days.”
“Because that’s my only intention, and that’s where all my energy is right now. Got the emotional side of it, but it’s time to get to work. Everyone else, please keep going. Thank you.”