Ben Stokes did not retire like a normal cricketer because he was never a normal cricketer. The announcement came in the middle of a Test match, during the deciding game against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, with England still trying to save a series and Stokes still trying to bend one last contest to his will.[reference:0]

Stokes was in the middle of a bowling spell at Trent Bridge when a statement was released confirming his intention to end a 15-year international career.[reference:1] The 35-year-old made the stunning announcement on the fourth day of the deciding Test.[reference:2] He told former captain Joe Root and vice-captain Harry Brook on Saturday evening, then revealed the news to the rest of the team on Sunday morning.[reference:3][reference:4]

In an emotional video released by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Stokes addressed his team-mates in the dressing room:“These are my last two days representing England and leading this team. Reasons can wait, why, but I’ve had many trips to the well before for this team, for you blokes, for people beforehand and I’ve got one more trip to do.”[reference:5]

He urged his team-mates to put emotions aside until the match was over: “The only thing that I want is to be able to walk off that field, regardless of the result, knowing that I’ve had this group give everything for the last two days.”[reference:6]

Stokes later told Sky Sports: “It might sound quite selfish but this decision is genuinely the best thing for me right now. 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.”[reference:7]

He denied the decision was a result of the nightclub incident that saw him miss the second Test. Instead, he had been considering ending his career since England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia.[reference:8] He said the Lord’s Test “brought back some kind of negative feelings about where I was in my career” after he had “burnt himself out.”[reference:9]

Barely an hour after the ECB announced Stokes’ retirement, emotional scenes unfolded at Trent Bridge. Shortly after the tea break on day four, England players formed a guard of honour as their captain walked out to bat. The two New Zealand batters joined the tribute. The entire Trent Bridge crowd stood to applaud one of England’s greatest cricketers.[reference:10]

Stokes was in the middle of a long bowling spell when spectators realised they were watching the final overs of an extraordinary England career.[reference:11] Then came the Hollywood moment: the entire ground rose to applaud him, and with the very next ball, he dismissed Zakary Foulkes with an edge taken low in the slips by Harry Brook.[reference:12][reference:13]

Stokes’ final innings for England lasted just 20 balls, but it was filled with everything that defined his career. He walked out to another guard of honour — this time from the New Zealand players.[reference:14][reference:15] He opened the batting and launched into a typically aggressive counterattack, smashing 30 off just 20 balls before being caught at mid-on.[reference:16][reference:17] He left the field for the last time as the New Zealand players rushed to shake his hand and the England captain made his way to the pavilion to a standing ovation.[reference:18]

Ben Stokes made his England debut in 2009 in an ODI against West Indies. He was just 18 years old. Over the next 15 years, he would become one of the most recognisable and influential cricketers in the world.

His career is defined by moments of extraordinary brilliance. In the summer of 2019, his unbeaten 84 in the World Cup final helped England win the World Cup for the first time, defeating New Zealand in what many regard to be the greatest game of cricket ever played.[reference:19] Six weeks later, Stokes was at it again, this time defeating Australia in the third Ashes Test at Headingley almost single-handedly with 135 not out.[reference:20]

His exploits that summer led to Stokes being named as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.[reference:21] He also played a starring role in the 2022 T20 World Cup final, scoring an unbeaten half-century in a chase where panic could have swallowed England.[reference:22]

As captain, he led England in 44 Tests, redefining the team’s approach with the aggressive “Bazball” philosophy. ECB Chair Richard Thompson called him “one of England’s greatest ever cricketers and one of the defining figures of his generation.”[reference:23]

The cricketing world reacted with shock and admiration as news of Stokes’ retirement spread. Here are some of the most notable reactions from former players and pundits.

While Stokes has retired from international cricket, he has confirmed he will continue to play domestic cricket for his boyhood club Durham. “I’m very excited about the next part of what I get to do. Going back to playing for my boyhood club Durham, I’m comparing this week to that week — right now I am buzzing.”[reference:37]

Stokes had found a “new lease of life” for the game while playing for Durham during the second Test, when he was away from the England team.[reference:38] He will also continue to play in franchise leagues around the world.