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England captain Ben Stokes to retire from international cricket as bombshell statement released

England captain Ben Stokes will retire from international cricket at the conclusion of England's deciding Test match with New Zealand at Trent Bridge

[Ben Stokes will retire from international cricket]

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Ben Stokes will retire from international cricket

England captain Ben Stokes will retire from international duty with an announcement released during the third Test with New Zealand.

The statement was dropped as Stokes was in the middle of a marathon bowling spell during New Zealand's second innings at Trent Bridge.

Shortly before the tea break, a statement from the ECB read: "One of England's all-time greatest captains, Ben Stokes, has decided to retire from international cricket at the end of this Test match.

"Ben, you have been the most inspirational captain, leader and legend this team could have ever hoped for. We love you so much and wish you all the best in your retirement

"England will never be the same again."

In a video accompanying the statement, a visibly emotional Stokes told his England team-mates in the dressing room: "Theres something that I know is going to happen over the next two days which is going to be that this is my last two days as your captain and my last two days representing England.

"Reasons can wait, [in terms of] why, but Ive had many trips to the well before for this team, for you boys and for people beforehand. And Ive got one more trip to do.

"And the only thing that I ask please, is that everyone please does the same. Weve got a lot of hard work still to do and the only thing that I want is to be able to walk off that field, regardless of the result, knowing that Ive had this group of men - and one lady - give everything for the last two days.

"The only thing I want is just for everyone to give it everything, not only for me selfishly, but also for the team and everything else that weve got going forward for you blokes.

[Stokes took a wicket seconds after his retirement was announced]

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Stokes took a wicket seconds after his retirement was announced

"All the taps on the behind, all the emotion, all that kind of stuff - please can we just wait for the end of the game because weve still got a load of work to do and Ive got a load more work that I want to do.

"Lets just go out there and give absolutely everything for another two days, alright? Thats my only intention and thats where all my energy is right now. Got the emotional side out of the way but now its time to go to work and everyone else please just come with me."

The capacity Trent Bridge crowd had the news relayed to them, with a huge standing ovation greeting Stokes as he ran into bowl the 10th over of his spell.

And in a stunning sporting moment, just seconds later, he took another wicket with Zak Foulkes caught at second slip.

Stokes will retire as one of England's greatest ever players and has enjoyed a 15-year career on the biggest stage, with the last four as captain and leader of the team under Brendan McCullum.

[Ben Stokes was England's hero when they won the 50-over World Cup in 2019]

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Ben Stokes was England's hero when they won the 50-over World Cup in 2019(Image: Philip Brown/Popperfoto via Getty Images)

However, the 35-year-old was stood down as skipper for the second Test against the Black Caps after being involved in a nightclub incident after the opening match of the series.

Stokes was out with fast bowler Gus Atkinson, breaking the curfew which had been imposed following the Ashes defeat Down Under at the start of the year.

He was subsequently left out of the side as England were handily beaten, before the ECB confirmed no further action would be taken.

In the build up at Trent Bridge, Stokes had talked of captaining England 'this week', with the announcement now confirming a changing of the guard.

[Ben Stokes scored one of England's best ever centuries during the Ashes in 2019]

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Ben Stokes scored one of England's best ever centuries during the Ashes in 2019

He has played 122 Test matches and is in the very exclusive club of scoring more than 7000 runs and taking more than 250 wickets.

Stokes has been the man in the middle for some of English cricket's most memorable victories, including an 84 in the 2019 World Cup final and his memorable 135 not out against Australia. An innings widely regarded as one of the best in the history of international cricket.

Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan said on Test Match Special: "I can't believe it. I'm absolutely stunned.

"Clearly, the [nightclub] incident hasn't helped and relationships have been fractured in some nature. I need time to take all that in, we'll have to hear from Ben himself and the reasons why.

"I just wonder about what has gone on over the past week or so, and maybe his mind just woke up one morning and went, "you know what, I've had enough of all this. But he's clearly still bowling well enough, isn't he?"

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