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England fans were left heartbroken after Ben Stokes made a shocking announcement during the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. The England captain told his teammates before the start of the game on Sunday (June 28) that he would retire from international cricket after this match.
His decision was a complete surprise. Stokes did not even tell why he took such a big decision. He merely told his teammates that the reasons behind his retirement could be discussed later. This has raised many questions about what really happened behind the scenes.
Michael Vaughan blames ECB for Ben Stokes’ retirement
Reacting to the shocking call, former England captain Michael Vaughan believes there could be more than one reason behind Ben Stokes’ retirement from international cricket.
Nevertheless, the commentator feels that the biggest reason could be the relationship between Stokes and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Right after this setback, Ben Stokes confirmed his return to cricket immediately after retirement.
“I just think about the last two weeks. When you’re captain of England, you’ve got to trust the people you’re working with. You’ve got to trust everyone around you, the management and the ECB,” Michael Vaughan told BBC’s Test Match Special.
Michael Vaughan reveals what forced Ben Stokes to retire
Vaughan has emphasized that a captain needs full support from everyone around him. He said that when a player is leading the national team, he should have full confidence in the management and the cricket board. And he feels that trust may have been slowly broken over the last few weeks.
The former England captain also said that he does not think this was the only reason behind the star all-rounder’s retirement. He pointed out that the England captain has gone through a very difficult period in recent months, including the Ashes defeat, Nusa and then the nightclub incident.
Vaughan further explained, “I honestly think there is a lack of trust, and it aggravates you. I’m not saying it would be the only reason Ben Stokes has stepped down, but all these things – the winter was a tough winter, and there were incidents on and off the field.”
He added, “Even in the build-up to that first Test at Lord’s, he wasn’t looking quite right. He wasn’t the Ben Stokes he was a few years ago. Then the incident happened, and in the last week or so he apparently had a falling out with the ECB. It’s a bit of a belief that they may have lost confidence in them.”
Ben Stokes’ international career in statistics
Meanwhile, Stokes is all set to end his unforgettable international career after almost 15 years. He was one of England’s best all-rounders and won many matches with both his batting and bowling.
In Test cricket, Stokes played 122 matches, scored 7,243 runs and scored 14 centuries, with his highest score being 258 runs. He also took 252 wickets, proving his value as a complete all-rounder. He also played 114 ODI matches, scoring 3,463 runs with the help of five centuries and taking 74 wickets.
He was one of the biggest heroes of England’s historic 2019 ODI World Cup-winning campaign. Stokes also represented England in 43 T20I matches, scoring 585 runs and taking 26 wickets. His most memorable performance came in the 2022 T20 World Cup final, where he played an unbeaten inning of 52 runs and led England to another ICC trophy.