BEN STOKES RETIRED FROM INTERNATIONAL CRICKET

1. What Happened - The "Signing Off"

Timeline of his farewell:

3:25pm, June 28: ECB releases statement mid-match while Stokes was bowling his 11th over

Next ball: Takes a wicket with his first ball after news broke, dismissing Zakary Foulkes

Tea break: Gets standing ovation leading team off

Final session: England + New Zealand both give him guard of honour

Batting: Opens the innings, hits 2 sixes in 20-ball 30, caught by Mitchell to end career . 

His words to teammates:

"This is my last two days as your captain and my last two days representing England... I’ve had many trips to the well before for this team, and I’ve got one more trip to do." . 

2. Why He Retired

Official reasons Stokes gave:

Burnt out: "Felt like I’ve been pretty good at overcoming on-field disappointment... Then the emotional side of this since Australia — I said it to my wife: ‘I don’t actually think I have any more fight left in me'"

Nightclub incident: After Lord's Test win, Stokes + Gus Atkinson broke midnight curfew at London nightclub. Both dropped for 2nd Test. Stokes got written conduct warning

Captaincy drain: "As good as it is, there are parts where it does drain you, and it does affect you in an emotional way"

Body/schedule: Previously cited when retiring from ODIs in 2022: "Three formats are just unsustainable for me now" . 

Context: Came after 4-1 Ashes loss in Australia + 160-run defeat to NZ in his final Test . 

3. Career Summary

Age: 35

Debut: 2011 ODI, 2013 Test

Captain: Since April 2022, created "Bazball" with Brendon McCullum

Tests: 122 matches, 7,243 runs @ 34.49, 14 hundreds, 200+ wickets

ODIs: 114 matches, 3,463 runs @ 41.23

T20Is: 43 matches, 585 runs

Highlights: 2019 World Cup win + Headingley 135* vs Australia, 2022 T20 World Cup win .

4. What's Next

County cricket: Will continue playing for Durham

Contract: Had central contract until end of 2027 Ashes worth £1m+/year. Will get portion as "golden handshake"

Successor: Backed Harry Brook as next captain. 

ECB Chairman Richard Thompson: "Ben Stokes leaves the international game as one of England's greatest ever cricketers" . 

So "signing off" means he literally walked off the field for the last time on June 29, 2026 after New Zealand won the 3rd Test by 160 runs. .