England great calls time on international career

Ben Stokes, one of England's modern-day cricketing icons, has announced his retirement from international cricket, with the ongoing third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge set to be his final appearance.

The decision, shared with the England squad ahead of play on June 28, brings the curtain down on a glittering 15-year international career that began in 2011 and included four years as England's Test captain.

Few players have shaped England's fortunes across formats quite like Ben Stokes. A genuine match-winner with bat and ball, Stokes delivered some of the most unforgettable moments, none bigger than his unbeaten 84 in the 2019 ODI World Cup final that helped England lift their first-ever world title.

Later that same summer, his legendary 135* at Headingley inspired one of the greatest Ashes victories in history.

In 2022, following Joe Root's resignation as Test captain, Stokes took charge of the red-ball side and, alongside head coach Brendon McCullum, ushered in the fearless attacking philosophy that became known as "Bazball."

Under their leadership, England rediscovered its identity, recording memorable series victories over New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and others while bringing fresh excitement to Test cricket.

Speaking to Sky Sports after what turned out to be his final active day as an England player on Sunday, Stokes reflected on the privilege and pressures that came with leading his country.

"I'll never begrudge any moment where I've captained the team and walked the team out," Stokes said.

"It's simply the greatest honour you could ever put on your shoulders as a player.

"But there's another side to it all which people don't see, people don't understand. Only people close to those people [captains] can really see it. Iit does drain you, it does affect you in a negative way. It's literally been four-and-a-half years where I've loved every single moment, but some moments have been harder than others."

The England skipper admitted the decision had been building for some time, revealing that he had been battling both physically and mentally throughout the summer. He said the Lord's Test earlier this month was the moment he first realised something wasn't quite right.

"The whole Lord's Test, I guess, brought back some negative feelings about where I was in my career," he said.

Stokes explained that he had done everything possible to prolong his career after returning from the Ashes and recovering from the facial injury he suffered during a nets session in February, but ultimately realised he had pushed himself to the limit.

"I've worked so hard from getting back home [from Australia] to try and make things right," he said.

"That's what I thought I was doing. I put so much time and effort into it, but I maybe potentially burnt myself out. If I have too much time on my hands, it can actually sometimes not be the best thing for me.

"When I got to that week at Lord's, it was a very interesting, strange feeling to go into that game. I gave myself every opportunity to [see if it was] just a blip, or if something wasn't quite right. But everyone I spoke to about [retirement], they just say it kicks you straight in the face. And I thought, a few weeks ago, that it did. As I was putting my pads on yesterday getting ready to go out there, that was the last nail in the coffin."

Looking back on his remarkable career, Stokes said he leaves the international stage with no regrets, content with everything he has achieved in England colours.

"I'm pretty happy and content with everything I've managed to do. I've captained, I'm an Ashes winner, I've won a 50-over World Cup, a T20 World Cup. I've also had the opportunity to captain the team and play alongside some of the best players to have played the game. There's not too much I can complain about, really."