England all-rounder Ben Stokes says retiring from international cricket is “the best thing” for him after confirming that England’s final Test against New Zeal...
England all-rounder Ben Stokes says retiring from international cricket is “the best thing” for him after confirming that England’s final Test against New Zealand marked the end of his international career. The 35-year-old announced his decision on the fourth day of the deciding Test at Trent Bridge on Sunday, bringing to a close a distinguished 15-year career that included 122 Test matches, 114 One-Day Internationals and 43 Twenty20 Internationals.
Speaking after making the announcement, Stokes said the decision was based on what he believes is best for both himself and the England team. He said stepping away from international cricket would allow him to continue enjoying the sport while giving others the opportunity to move the team forward.
“It might sound quite selfish but this decision is genuinely the best thing for me right now,” Stokes told Sky Sports. “I hope it’s the best thing for the team going forward but I also hope it’s what will allow me to keep loving this game that has given me so much.”
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Stokes explained that his retirement was not solely influenced by the events of the past few weeks, during which he missed England’s second Test against New Zealand following an incident at a London nightclub. Instead, he revealed that he had been thinking about retirement since England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia and that those thoughts became stronger during the opening Test of the home summer at Lord’s.
“The Lord’s Test, for me, was something that brought back negative feelings about where I was in my career,” he said. “I’d worked so hard since getting home from Australia to put things right, or at least that’s what I thought I was doing. I put so much time and effort into doing that and I just burned myself out.”
Although he said the nightclub incident was not the main reason behind his retirement, Stokes admitted it contributed to his thinking. He described the period as difficult and acknowledged that the situation added to emotions he had already been experiencing.
“There was a build-up to it, how things were during the whole week at Lord’s and then another moment when I sat next to Joe Root in the dressing room,” he said. “Obviously another scenario happened that added to it. It’s never easy with me, is it? It was an unfortunate situation to be involved in over the past two weeks.”
The England captain said spending time back with his county side, Durham, during his absence from the national team helped him rediscover his enjoyment of cricket. He confirmed he intends to continue playing domestic cricket and is looking forward to returning to his boyhood club.
“Being back at Durham, when I wasn’t playing in the second Test, I found a new lease of life for the game, but unfortunately I just couldn’t get that feeling back this week,” Stokes said. “I’m very excited about the next part of what I get to do. Going back to playing for my boyhood club Durham, I am buzzing. It makes it clear that I’ve made the right decision.”
Stokes revealed that he made the final decision to retire while preparing to bat during England’s first innings at Trent Bridge on Saturday. He first informed former captain Joe Root and vice-captain Harry Brook before telling the rest of the England squad on Sunday morning. He described captaining England as the greatest honour of his career while acknowledging the physical and emotional demands that came with the responsibility.
“It’s the best thing that I’ve ever been asked to do, captaining England,” he said. “It is the greatest honour to have on your shoulders but there is also another side to it that people don’t see. My family, my wife, they see the bits where it does drain you and it does affect you negatively.”
Throughout his international career, Stokes battled several serious injuries. These included a persistent left knee problem that limited his bowling in 2023 and 2024, two hamstring injuries later in 2024, a shoulder problem during the summer of 2025, an adductor injury during the Ashes and a broken cheek suffered after being struck by a ball while coaching at Durham. In 2021, he also stepped away from cricket temporarily to focus on his mental health.
Reflecting on his career, Stokes said he leaves international cricket satisfied with what he achieved. His list of honours includes winning the Ashes, helping England lift the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, playing a decisive role in the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup triumph and captaining his country. Shortly after his retirement was announced publicly during the Trent Bridge Test, Stokes added another memorable moment by taking a wicket with his first delivery after the announcement. Looking back on his achievements, he said: “I’m pretty happy and content with everything I’ve managed to do. 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.”
