- Ben Stokes officially announced his retirement from international cricket, reflecting on a "mad 15 years" filled with both triumphs and challenges, and expressed profound gratitude to England fans and teammates in a social media post on Friday.
- His departure was marked by chaotic scenes at Trent Bridge, where he issued an official statement just before taking his final England wicket, concluding a highly successful yet often turbulent career.
- The all-rounder's final international appearance saw him promoted to open the batting in his last Test innings, which ended in a significant 160-run defeat for England against New Zealand, leading to a 2-1 series loss on home soil.
- Stokes' final summer included captaining a morale-boosting victory at Lord's, but also saw him miss a subsequent Test due to over-celebrating and breaching a team curfew, for which he received an official conduct warning.
- Despite speculation regarding a potential return for next year's Ashes, the 35-year-old has firmly stated his decision is final, reiterating that his time in international cricket is definitively over.
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