England Test captain Ben Stokes has announced his retirement from international cricket, with the ongoing Test against New Zealand in Nottingham set to be the final match of his career.
According to a statement issued by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Stokes informed his teammates of his decision before the start of play today.
The development marks the end of a major era in English cricket, as one of the game’s leading all-rounders prepares to bow out on the international stage in front of home fans.
He had not ruled out the possibility of this being his last Test during a press conference ahead of the third Test at Trent Bridge. Ben Stokes’ 15-year international career and four-year tenure as England’s Test captain are now coming to an end.
He made his T20I debut for England in 2011, while his Test debut came during the Ashes series in Adelaide in December 2013. He has been leading the England Test team since April 2022.
Stokes has played 121 Test matches for England, scoring 7,228 runs and taking 246 wickets. In 114 One-Day Internationals, he scored 3,463 runs and took 74 wickets. In 43 T20 Internationals, he scored 585 runs and took 26 wickets.
His decision comes after he was ruled out of the second Test at The Oval due to an ongoing investigation into a late-night celebration at a Chelsea nightclub following England’s victory at Lord’s. He later received a written warning after an investigation by the ECB and the Cricket Regulator and was cleared of further misconduct, although he faced significant criticism.
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