Ben Stokes says he “loved every single moment” of leading England, yet the 35-year-old has accepted the job left him empty after last winter’s 4-1 Ashes defeat. “I didn’t have any more fight left in me,” he told Sky Sports on day four at Trent Bridge, shortly after England confirmed his retirement and moments before he winkled out Zak Foulkes for Test wicket No. 252.
The all-rounder revealed the penny had dropped before the first Test of this New Zealand series at Lord’s, rather than in the aftermath of his now-famous night on the tiles that cost him a place at The Oval. The issue, he insists, is long-term fatigue.
“I’ll never begrudge any moment where I’ve captained the team and walked the team out,” Stokes said on the boundary rope. “It’s simply the greatest honour you could ever put on your shoulders as a player. But there’s another side to it all which people don’t see, people don’t understand … it does drain you.”
Stokes, who had consulted wife Clare plus close allies Joe Root and Stuart Broad, asked the Trent Bridge announcer to share his decision at 3.25pm. The crowd’s roar was as raw as anything heard since his Bazball reign began in 2022 – perhaps the point. The player then opened the batting, not for sentiment but because the surface was “getting nasty”, only to splice a pull to mid-on for a rapid 30. England limped to 103 for 4, still 270 shy of their 373-run target, series hopes hanging by a thread.
The 2019 World Cup hero has looked subdued all month, even in the 115-run win at Lord’s. He links that malaise to memories of Sydney in January – the fifth Ashes Test – and to the sickening blow he copped in the Durham nets in February. “The whole Lord’s Test, I guess, brought back some negative feelings about where I was in my career,” he said. “I’ve worked so hard from getting back home [from Australia] to try and make things right … I put so much time and effort into it, but I ma—” he tailed off, visibly fighting for words.
Coaching staff have seen the signs. Assistant Paul Collingwood noted recently that Stokes “keeps pushing that knee and that soul of his further than most mortals”. Sports psychologist Dr Sarah Murray, who has advised England’s set-up in the past, describes the scenario as predictable: “Four years of constant scrutiny, plus the expectation to deliver with bat, ball and brain, will drain anyone. He’s human.”
Stokes will stay with the squad this week, partly to mentor vice-captain Ollie Pope, likely caretaker for any future transition. Selection chief Luke Wright said conversations about a permanent successor “start tomorrow, but Ben’s voice will still matter”.
Statistically Stokes departs with 23 wins from 36 Tests as captain, a strike-rate eclipsed only by Mike Brearley among England skippers who led in more than ten matches. Yet numbers feel secondary. Broad summed it up neatly: “He changed how our lads view Test cricket. That’s legacy enough.”
For now, Stokes heads into a summer of rehab and reflection. Whether he returns solely as a middle-order batter, slips back to white-ball focus, or eventually hangs them all up, nobody, least of all the man himself, knows.
“I’ve still plenty to give England, just not the armband,” he said, half-smiling, half-relieved. “First, I need a breather.”
