England captain Ben Stokes retires from international cricket in shock announcement

England men's Test cricket captain Ben Stokes, 35, announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect following a three-match series against New Zealand. The announcement was made during the fourth day of the final Test at Trent Bridge, where Stokes took a wicket shortly after the news broke and later opened the batting in his final innings, scoring 30 runs from 20 balls. Speaking after play, Stokes described a mix of emotions including relief, happiness, excitement, and sadness at the conclusion of his captaincy.