A few days after the curtain came down on his international career, Ben Stokes posted a farewell message on social media, in which he thanked his teammates, supporters and everyone who was part of his journey during what he called “15 crazy years.”Stokes announced his retirement during the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. Moments after issuing an official statement, he took his final wicket for England.
His international career ended in a 160-run defeat as New Zealand won the third Test and the series, with Stokes watching the closing stages from the balcony after being dismissed in his final innings.The end of his career came after a busy few weeks. Stokes led England to victory in the first Test at Lord’s, missed the second Test after a night out in London that resulted in an official conduct warning, and returned for one final match at Nottingham.He also promoted himself to open the batting in his last Test innings before England lost the series decider.
Posting on X after spending a few days with his family, Stokes shared a personal message to those who have supported him throughout his career.“It’s been a crazy 15 years. Everything has been laid out there, from the highs to the lows (on and off the field),” Stokes wrote in a post on X. “My time is up, and no one will be able to make this decision but me.
But in the meantime, I just want to say that I love every England fan and every cricket fan who has supported me over the years.”“I love every single person I’ve taken to the field to represent England. I could go on, but I hope you understand how much I love doing what I’ve done for 15 years. I’m looking forward to being a fan and supporting the team, and the odd day in hospitality won’t be wasted.”“Family, friends, teammates, fans… I love you all.”