Nottingham (United Kingdom) (AFP) – What happens next? That is the awkward question facing English cricket after Ben Stokes announced his retirement from international duty in the middle of a Test match.
Issued on: 29/06/2026 - 02:24
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Stokes explained on Sunday that he felt "burnt out" after four years as England's Test captain following an extraordinary day of drama in the third match of the series against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.Replacing him in the England set-up, both as captain or as a match-winning all-rounder, is going to be all but impossible.The announcement of the impending end of Stokes' England career came as the 35-year-old was involved in a marathon bowling spell, with the series on the line.It was the start of a scarcely credible sequence of events.
Teammates celebrate after England's Ben Stokes takes the wicket of New Zealand's Zak Foulkes on the fourth day of the third Test at Trent Bridge © Darren Staples / AFP
