Ben Stokes has announced that he will retire from international cricket, with the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge set to be his final appearance for England. The 35-year-old informed the England squad of his decision before the start of play on Sunday (June 2, bringing the curtain down on an international career that began in 2011 and included captaining the Test side since April 2022.

"Ben Stokes leaves the international game as one of England's greatest ever cricketers and one of the defining figures of his generation. His performances under pressure, his relentless competitiveness and his ability to produce the extraordinary when it matters most have given me and millions of other fans memories that will endure forever," said ECB Chair Richard Thompson.

"We are losing a batsman, a bowler, a captain and a talisman. On behalf of the ECB, I want to thank Ben for everything he has given to our sport and wish him and his family every success and happiness for the future."

Ben Stokes retires from international cricket amid ongoing Trent Bridge Test | Cricbuzz.com

@Narper

Stokes is auditioning for the T20 format

Sad. in recent times, Botham, Flintoff and Stokes have been the top English allrounders. Always sad to see giants of the game leave.

@openning

better hide the tape of the 2016 World Cup final over against RTN then!! Lolol

@openning

Stokes is auditioning for the T20 format

He doesn't need to audition....wasn't he the highest paid in one of the IPLs in the past

He is now signaling he is available

@openning

pissed about the ban last test

@Chrissy

He has reason to be pissed

The retirement comes less than three weeks after Stokes was involved an off-field controversy following England's victory in the first Test against New Zealand. Stokes and Gus Atkinson breached the team's midnight curfew and were reportedly present during an incident outside a London nightclub that also involved an ECB security staff member and a Saracens rugby player. With the Cricket Regulator's investigation ongoing, the ECB ruled both players unavailable for selection for the second Test, prompting Joe Root to step in as stand-in captain.

The Cricket Regulator later concluded there was insufficient evidence to establish a breach of any ECB Cricket Regulations and cleared both players of any regulatory offence. The ECB also confirmed that "no blame should be attached to the players for violent conduct at the nightclub", stating that Stokes "was not involved in the altercation and did not witness either incident", while Atkinson "was the victim of unprovoked attacks and did not retaliate on either occasion".

@Chrissy

Yes and they will coming begging him to return for the ashes