'I'm done': Ben Stokes has no regrets about England retirement call

His final day in an England jersey came on Monday, when New Zealand completed a 160-run victory to win the series 2-1 — with Stokes watching the final hours from the balcony outside England's dressing room.

A day after his announcement, Stokes was asked by the BBC if he was going to be happy watching from the sofa when England takes on Australia in next year’s home Ashes series.

“I am incredibly content with everything right now,” Stokes said. “It’s a decision that you don’t take lightly. It has taken a lot of time. I’ve spoken to a lot of people close to me.

“I’m done, mate, and I’m very happy.”

Stokes’ decision to retire came at the end of a whirlwind few weeks in which he led England to victory in the first test at Lord’s, then went on a night out with a teammate and was present in a nightclub when a member of England’s security team was reportedly struck by a rugby player from English club Saracens.

Stokes was dropped for the second test for breaching contractual obligations, and returned for the third test following the conclusion of investigations into the night out.

He described the recent events as “unfortunate” and “interesting," and acknowledged they “maybe” contributed to his decision to quit international cricket.

“But there’s an overriding fact that over the last 6-12 months I think everything that I’ve done over a long period of time has taken its toll,” Stokes said.

“Being in this role as captain — as good as it is, as exciting as it is, how big an honor it is — there’s some negative effects to doing it. I guess that’s the unfortunate side that people don’t always get to see.”

Controversy followed Stokes to the end

Stokes has been a defining player for England over the past 15 years, playing a key role in the team's World Cup title wins in the 50-over and T20 formats and captaining the test team since 2022 in the so-called Bazball era that changed the way the game's longest and oldest format was played.

He also attracted headlines off the field, for his fight with mental health problems and when he was found not guilty of affray in 2018 following a late-night street brawl in Bristol, southwest England, after a victory over the West Indies in an international match.

“I can probably look back on the week and have a bit of a laugh that there was a bit of controversy around my last game for England,” Stokes said, "but I guess you could relate that to me as a player throughout.

"I'm a little bit hit and miss sometimes, here and there, and obviously something pretty simple ended up being a bit complicated.

McCullum still committed to England

Stokes' departure leaves the remaining two people in England's leadership team — coach Brendon McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key — in the firing line.

The series against New Zealand was supposed to be a reset after losing the Ashes 4-1 in Australia, where questions were raised about the professionalism of England's players amid concerns about a drinking culture.

For many, the late-night incident involving Stokes after the Lord's test suggested lessons haven't been learned — is there, for example, a curfew in operation? — while England has lost seven of its last nine test matches, a sign the team is in decline.

McCullum, who said he tried to talk Stokes out of retiring, said he wanted to carry on himself, four years after taking the job as coach of the test team. He is also now coach of the white-ball teams.

“My commitment to English cricket has never wavered,” McCullum said. “I firmly believe in the direction that we can get this team to take.”

However, former England captain Michael Vaughan said he'd be “absolutely staggered” if the leadership group stayed in place.

“There must be change," Vaughan told the BBC, "after what we’ve seen here in terms of a cricketing sense now over a period of time.”

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket