‘I don’t think I’ve got any more fight in me’: Ben Stokes reveals heartbreaking reason behind shock England retirement | Cricket News
Ben Stokes has finally explained the deeply personal reasons behind one of the most shocking retirement announcements in modern cricket, revealing that the emotional scars from England’s disastrous Ashes campaign in Australia left him feeling he “had no fight left” to continue representing his country.The England captain stunned the cricket world on Sunday by announcing his retirement from all international cricket at the conclusion of the ongoing third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, bringing the curtain down on an extraordinary 15-year career. Speaking candidly after the game, the 35-year-old dismissed speculation surrounding recent off-field controversies and instead pointed to the emotional, physical and mental exhaustion that had built up since England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia.
“I don’t think I have any more fight left in me”
In an emotional explanation, Stokes revealed that the turning point came when he admitted his feelings to his wife.“The emotional side of it from Australia … the way I said it to my wife was, ‘I don’t think I have any more fight left in me to get through this, to be honest,'” Stokes told Sky Sports.The England skipper admitted the realization hit him harder than he expected.“It’s literally done. You go through the whole process, you talk to people close to you, and you start letting more and more out. The more I talk to my wife and others about it, I end up pushing things further and further back,” he added.Stokes said he has always prided himself on overcoming setbacks throughout his career, whether on or off the field, but this time he proved different.“Another thing I had in the last five or six weeks was … it was another thing that I felt like I had to try and overcome. I feel like I’ve been pretty good at this throughout my career – overcoming disappointment on the field, disappointment off the field – but this was different.”
“It’s brutal what we do”
Beyond the emotional toll, Stokes admitted that staying at the highest level had become an increasingly punishing challenge.“It’s brutal what we do, physically, mentally. Even things far from it – what you have to put in and hard work – it’s getting a little tiring these days,” he admits.At 35, just getting his body ready to compete had become a battle in itself.“I feel like I have to do so much physical work to keep myself doing what I’m doing out there. Do I have the fight in me to keep doing it because of what I know it takes to walk out here and play for this country? “, he said.The answer, I admitted, was no.“There are so many things that have tipped me to know that this is the right decision – the emotional side, the physical side, the mental side.”
A difficult but necessary goodbye
Stokes revealed that retirement had been on his mind for weeks and that he sought advice from those closest to him before making the final call.“I gave myself every opportunity to think that maybe it was just a blip or that something wasn’t right,” he said, adding that talking openly with the family finally convinced him it was time.Despite the heart, Stokes insisted he leaves with no regrets.“This decision is really the best for me now. I hope it is the best for the team going forward, but it is what will allow me to continue to love this game that has given me so much.”The announcement ends the international career of one of England’s greatest all-rounders and captains, a player whose legacy includes the unforgettable 2019 World Cup triumph, the miraculous Headingley Ashes innings and the fearless ‘Bazball’ era that reshaped England’s Test cricket.
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