Ben Stokes Announces Retirement From International Cricket

London. New Zealand's final Test is his last game, announcing Ben Stokes has decided to retire from international cricket, said it was the best thing for him.

Considered one of England's greatest cricketers of all time, the 35-year-old Stokes made such a surprising announcement on the fourth day of the decisive Test at Trent Bridge.

This means his 15-year international career will end on Monday. During this period, he played 122 Test, 114 ODI, and 43 T20 international matches.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Stokes said, 'It might sound a bit selfish, but honestly, this is the right decision for me at this time.'

'I hope it will be good for the future of the team as well. Also, I believe this decision will help me maintain my love for this game that has given me so much.'

The all-rounder rejected claims that the decision was made due to the events of the last three weeks, which saw him miss the second Test against New Zealand following an incident at a London nightclub.

He clarified that he had been thinking about ending his career since England lost the Ashes series 4-1 in Australia. He also said that the thought of retirement intensified during the first Test of this summer at Lord's.

'The Lord's Test made me have negative feelings about the state of my career,' he said.

'I had worked very hard to fix everything since returning home from Australia, or at least that's what I thought. I put a lot of time and effort into it, but I was exhausted from within.'

However, Stokes admitted that the nightclub controversy had 'added fuel' to his decision to retire.

'The atmosphere at Lord's for the whole week was creating a background. Then there was another moment sitting next to Joe Root in the dressing room,' he said.

'Of course, another incident happened that helped. Nothing is ever easy for me, is it? Getting caught in such a situation for the last two weeks was an unfortunate situation.'

Stokes played for Durham while out of the England squad for the second Test. He said that his love for the game was reignited when he returned to his county team. He confirmed that he will continue to play domestic cricket.

Stokes said, 'When I returned to Durham without playing the second Test, I found new energy for the game. But unfortunately, I couldn't bring that feeling back this week.'

'I am very excited about the next phase of what I am doing now. Talking about returning to play for my childhood club Durham, I am comparing this week with that week. Right now I am very excited, but there were also some moments this week that were very difficult. All these things make it clear that I have made the right decision.'

Stokes said he made the decision to retire while putting on his pads to bat in England's first innings at Trent Bridge on Saturday.

He informed former captain Joe Root and vice-captain Harry Brook about this on Saturday evening. Then he shared the news with the rest of the team on Sunday morning.

'The last four-five weeks, or rather the last six months, have been very interesting,' Stokes added. 'When such a day comes, all sorts of emotions come – relief, happiness, excitement, sadness. You have to go through all these.'

'Captaincy of England has been the best responsibility of my life. It is the greatest honor to have this responsibility on my shoulders. But there is another side to it that people don't see, only those close to you see.'

'My family, my wife see the things where it tires you and affects you negatively.'

Stokes has faced many serious injuries throughout his career. Due to a left knee problem, he had difficulty bowling in 2023 and 2024.

Then, towards the end of 2024, he suffered two hamstring injuries, and in the summer of 2025, he had a shoulder problem.

Towards the end of the Ashes series, he had a lower back nerve problem. Later, while coaching the Durham academy, his cheekbone was badly fractured by a ball.

In 2021, Stokes also took a break from cricket to prioritize his mental health.

Stokes said, 'Everyone says that the moment of decision to retire hits you hard in the face. I think something like that happened to me a few weeks ago.'

'As you go through the whole process of talking to relatives and close people, the more you talk, the more things seem to come out.'

'What we do is physically and mentally very brutal. Nowadays it's all becoming a bit tiring. At the age of 35, I feel I have to put in a lot of physical effort to maintain my performance on the field.'

Stokes' retirement news was made public while he was bowling on the field.

Doing justice to a career filled with unforgettable moments, Stokes took a wicket with the very first ball after the announcement, which made the atmosphere at Trent Bridge jubilant.

Recalling his favorite moments as an England player, he mentioned the 2015 Ashes. At Trent Bridge then, with Stuart Broad's bowling, he took a brilliant catch, helping him win his only Ashes trophy.

Stokes also played a crucial role in England winning the 50-over World Cup in 2019. Six weeks later, the innings he played to defeat Australia at Headingley is considered one of the best innings ever played by an England batsman.

He also played a decisive role when England defeated Pakistan in the final of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Melbourne, Australia.

'I am very happy and satisfied with what I have been able to do,' he said.

'I am an Ashes winner, I have won the 50-over World Cup, I have won the T20 World Cup.'

'I also had the opportunity to captain the team and play with the greatest players in cricket history. Honestly, I have nothing to complain about.'