England Test captain Ben Stokes to retire from international cricket

England Test captain Ben Stokes will retire from international cricket ​after the ongoing Test match against New Zealand at ‌Trent Bridge, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Sunday, bringing the curtain down on a career that included the 2019 World ​Cup triumph and one of the most celebrated Ashes ​innings of the modern era at Headingley that same ⁠year.

When the news was announced at Trent Bridge during ​play it drew a standing ovation from the crowd, and Stokes ​took a wicket with his first ball afterwards.

The 35-year-old, who made his international debut in 2011, has captained England’s Test team since 2022.

A talismanic ​figure known for his fearless batting and defiant leadership, helped ​England win their first 50-over World Cup seven years ago with an ‌unbeaten ⁠84 in the final.

His unbeaten 135 at Headingley the same summer, which guided England to a one-wicket win over Australia after they had been bowled out for 67 in the first ​innings, is widely ​regarded as ⁠one of the greatest Test innings of all time.

“Ben Stokes leaves the international game as one ​of England’s greatest ever cricketers and one of ​the ⁠defining figures of his generation,” ECB chair Richard Thompson said in a statement.

“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.”