Over a month after his shock retirement from international cricket, former England captain Ben Stokes, for the first time, opened up on his decision to draw curtains on his career, which came on the fourth day of the final Test match of the series against New Zealand at home. Stokes admitted he originally had 2027 Ashes as his swansong, but realised his body would not allow him to get there. Stokes, however, dreams of a return to the England dressing room, but this time as a coach, calling it a long-term ambition.
Speaking to former teammates Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler on the For the Love of Cricket podcast, Stokes said the decision came after months of honest conversations with his wife, Clare, and growing doubts over whether his body could withstand another two years of international cricket.
“There’s a lot to it, and there’s a lot to it that I think is just not for today or for the near future,” Stokes said when asked about the reasoning behind his retirement, adding that he would explain more “when the time is right.”
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Stokes revealed that he had long planned to make the 2027 Ashes in Australia the finish line. But admitted that the plan unravelled owing to recurring fitness concerns, which forced him to reassess his future. He eventually accepted his fate, that his original plan no longer looked realistic.
“I always planned my retirement. It was the 2027 Ashes. Whatever happened there, I thought, ‘I’m not sure I can go past that.’ Over time, I was thinking, ‘How am I going to get there? How am I going to get to Australia in 2027?’ Then it became, ‘How am I going to get to New Zealand? How am I going to get to Pakistan?’ I was constantly worrying about getting there.”
The 35-year-old also dismissed suggestions that he could have stepped down as captain while continuing as a player.
“I never once thought, ‘I’m just going to give it up and just keep going as a player.’ I’m 35. If I’m not going to be captain, I think I’d find it tough to do it.”
He added that he was “very comfortable” with walking away completely from England’s Test set-up. “I was very comfortable retiring from playing and not thinking about playing for England.”
England coaching dream
While Stokes’ playing career is drawing to a close, he already has his sights set on life after retirement. The all-rounder said he wants to remain closely involved with the game, before revealing that coaching England is an ambition he hopes to fulfil one day.
“I know what I want to do in terms of staying in the game, which is to be a coach. Would I love to be coach of England one day? Absolutely. I’d love to be able to do that. Do I think it is going to happen? I don’t know. No idea. I just really like the idea of being in some form of leadership away from playing.”
Stokes has already worked with the England Lions in coaching camps and believes leadership from the sidelines could become the next chapter of his cricket journey after his final Test appearance against New Zealand.
