England coach Brendon McCullum on Monday revealed that he tried his best to talk Ben Stokes out of retirement, but the Test captain had already made up his mind and wasn’t willing to change his decision. The premier all-rounder announced his international retirement on Sunday, midway through Day 4 of the Trent Bridge Test against New Zealand. Hours after making the decision public, Stokes came out to open the batting in his final innings, scoring 30 runs off 20 balls.
However, Stokes’ international career came to a sad end on Monday as England went down to New Zealand in the series decider, losing the three-match series 2-1. The 35-year-old had missed the second Test after he was dropped from the squad. Stokes was left out after he broke the team curfew and went to the nightclub with pacer Gus Atkinson.
McCullum and Stokes took the reins of the Test side in 2022, and the Bazball approach began with England’s defeat of New Zealand. However, the same side all but ended the approach four years later.
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“Well, first of all, when he told me, I tried to talk him out of it. I said, ‘Slow down’. I said, ‘Slow down, let’s just think about this. And he said, ‘No, Baz, I am done. And then we sort of sat silent for about 10 seconds,” said McCullum on BBC Test Match Special.
“And then I said, ‘I feel a bit sad. And he said, ’I know’. He said, ‘I’m happy, and I’m content with everything. You know the time has come. I had a bit of an idea that this might happen. I wasn’t sure when that may be. But I guess, when he did say, it kind of made sense,” he added.
McCullum also revealed that Stokes had made up his mind and was firm about it. The former New Zealand captain called the all-rounder an “inspiration.”
“He had made up his mind, and it became pretty obvious that he was keen to step away. From there, it turned to just a bit sad, really. Sad because for four years we’ve worked intimately together and we’ve been through a lot together,” said McCullum.
“He was an inspiration to work with. I call him a good friend and wish him all the best for the future,” he added.
No U-turn
Stokes, who represented England in 122 Tests, 114 ODIs and 43 T20Is, also confirmed on Monday that there would be no U-turn and that he remains steadfast in his decision to call time on his international career.
“I am incredibly content with everything right now. It is a decision I don’t take lightly. It has taken a lot of time. I am done. I am very happy,” said Stokes.
When asked again if he was sure, Stokes replied: “Sure.”
Stokes provided some of England’s most iconic moments. No one can truly forget his match-winning, unbeaten century against Australia at Headingley in 2019. He also played a crucial role in England’s wins of the ODI World Cup in 2019 and the T20 World Cup in 2022.