Ben Stokes Announces Retirement After 15-Year International Career Ben Stokes confirmed his retirement from international cricket on the fourth day of the Trent Bridge Test, marking the end of a 15-year career that spanned over 250 matches across formats. The all-rounder, who last played white-ball cricket for England in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, left behind a legacy defined by his extraordinary statistics and contributions to the sport. His career highlights include over 7,273 runs and 252 wickets in Tests, placing him among the elite in cricket history. Stokes’ achievements in Test cricket are particularly notable. He is one of only two players to amass 7,000+ runs and 250+ wickets in the format, alongside South African legend Jacques Kallis. His record against specific teams further underscores his dominance. Stokes scored over 1,900 runs and took 59 wickets against India, more than 1,700 runs and 56 wickets against Australia, and over 1,300 runs and 43 wickets against the West Indies. These figures place him in an exclusive group of all-rounders who have achieved the double of 1,000 runs and 40 wickets against three different opponents. His batting prowess was equally remarkable. Stokes holds the record for the most sixes in Test cricket, with 138, including 39 against Australia—the highest tally against a single team. His 258 not out against South Africa in Cape Town in 2016 remains the second-highest individual score for a player batting at number six or lower, trailing only Don Bradman’s 270. This innings also featured 11 sixes, the joint-third highest for a Test innings and the most by an England batter. Stokes’ ability to score quickly was another hallmark of his career.#england #ben_stokes #johannesburg #trent_bridge #johannesburg_test
