Former England captain Ben Stokes has expressed his desire to coach the national team in future, insisting that he has the required experience to be successful in the position.

The 35-year-old all-rounder retired from international cricket in June during England’s Test series against New Zealand, drawing curtains to a career that included the country’s 2019 World Cup triumph and his match-winning Ashes innings at Headingley the same year.

Stokes led England’s Test side from 2022 before moving away.

“I’m doing my Level 3 coaching now while I’m still playing, because I want, when the day comes that I’m not playing any more, I’d love to be able to have all that stuff signed off and done,” Stokes was quoted as saying on the podcast “For The Love Of Cricket”.

“I want to be a coach. I know what I want to do in terms of staying within the game, which is to be a coach. And would I love to be coach of England one day? Absolutely.”

Stokes is confident about delivering in the role.

“I would do a pretty good job at it because now I have an understanding of responsibility on the shoulders. I don’t actually mind making big decisions.”

Talking about England limited overs skipper Harry Brook, Stokes described him as a “freakishly talented” player, who surprisingly failed to succeed as a Test captain.

“If you think someone is going to be a good captain or a good leader, then just give them (the opportunity),” Stokes said.

“Brook was made vice-captain. Even when I missed that Test match (against New Zealand), I was like, ‘Why is Brook vice-captain?’

“I understood the reasoning behind it, but I was still thinking, what message does that send to him? He’s vice-captain, and the captain isn’t playing, but he’s still not captain. What does that say?”

England’s all-time leading run scorer in Tests, Joe Root was reappointed as captain following Stokes’s retirement along with former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming as coach.

It is one of cricket’s ironies that players welcome captaincy despite knowing that the chances of escaping its psychological and physical damage are low. Great captains are often those who hide their trauma well. Even those who enjoy the job and have a profound effect on the game reach a point when the ‘honour’ doesn’t matter any more.

England captain Ben Stokes torching “the church that he built,” in the memorable words of cricket writer Vithushan Ehantharajah, was a reminder of what captaincy can do to players, even the best ones.

“I was so scarred and devastated by the experience,” admitted Sachin Tendulkar (who led in 25 Tests), “that I even wondered whether I should walk away from cricket.” This, from the man with over 15,000 Test runs and 51 centuries. Captains tend to grey prematurely and lose hair steadily. Anxiety is a constant companion. They make their decisions before an event but are judged only after the consequences become clear. Win or lose, it is difficult to be fully effective beyond a few series.

Michael Atherton, who led England in 54 Tests felt that “four years is about the limit. It is a job that takes its toll.”

Man of many parts

A captain, wrote Doug Insole, former England player and selector, is a public relations officer, agricultural consultant, psychiatrist, accountant, nursemaid, diplomat. Ray Illingworth in his book Captaincy added to that with: “He needs to have the patience of a saint, the compassion of a social worker, and the skin of a rhino…”

Despite the presence of the coaching staff, the captain has an unnatural burden on his shoulders. The reaction to Stokes’s post-victory celebration was extreme (he was dropped for a Test in the New Zealand series despite lack of clarity on whether the midnight curfew remained in place after a match was over). Stokes’ nose-thumbing or middle-finger wagging or whatever it was that caused him to open the batting and go on a suicide mission was extreme too. England cricket is in that familiar place now — a mess.

If there was one man who raised it to great heights recently, it was Stokes. If there is one who is the symbol of everything wrong with it now, it is Stokes. A great all rounder and inspiring captain jumped before he was pushed — other captains haven’t been so lucky.

One of India’s finest, Srinivas Venkatraghavan had the mortification of hearing of his sacking from the pilot on the PA system of the aircraft carrying the team back to India after a tour of England. Australia’s Kim Hughes bid a tearful farewell after yet another defeat against the West Indies.

After England’s defeat to India at Lord’s in ’86, skipper David Gower was at the post-match interview while in the dressing room chief selector Peter May was offering the captaincy to Mike Gatting. Gower was the last to know. “You will have the worst time of your life,” former England captain Brian Close told a successor, Ian Botham about captaincy.

The captain is the focal point of the pressure on a team, and feels the heat the most. In Stokes’ case, there was the added strain of ‘Bazball’, a wonderful system of play when things were going well but without a fall-back position when things were going badly. It was exciting while it lasted, but when it unravelled in Australia, Stokes and his men losing the Ashes series 1-4, the sharpened knives could be seen glinting. Victory is the only justification for any system, even the ones difficult to understand or accept.

Perhaps Virat Kohli was speaking for the majority when he explained why he gave up captaincy: “I was completely spent. I was consumed by it. It was gruesome.” Interesting choice of words, but the message is clear. As the great Mike Brearley pointed out in his classic, The Art of Captaincy, “We receive repeated intimations of our own fallibility.” It helped that skipper Brearley was a philosopher, psychoanalyst and author, but he is unique.

Captains have to absorb the pressure so the rest of the team can play freely. Stokes removed the fear of failure from the players, and backed them for fitting in. But in the end he was overwhelmed. A cautionary tale? Perhaps, but was it worth it?

It is one of cricket’s ironies that players welcome captaincy despite knowing that the chances of escaping its psychological and physical damage are low. Great captains are often those who hide their trauma well. Even those who enjoy the job and have a profound effect on the game reach a point when the ‘honour’ doesn’t matter any more.

England captain Ben Stokes torching “the church that he built,” in the memorable words of cricket writer Vithushan Ehantharajah, was a reminder of what captaincy can do to players, even the best ones.

“I was so scarred and devastated by the experience,” admitted Sachin Tendulkar (who led in 25 Tests), “that I even wondered whether I should walk away from cricket.” This, from the man with over 15,000 Test runs and 51 centuries. Captains tend to grey prematurely and lose hair steadily. Anxiety is a constant companion. They make their decisions before an event but are judged only after the consequences become clear. Win or lose, it is difficult to be fully effective beyond a few series.

Michael Atherton, who led England in 54 Tests felt that “four years is about the limit. It is a job that takes its toll.”

Man of many parts

A captain, wrote Doug Insole, former England player and selector, is a public relations officer, agricultural consultant, psychiatrist, accountant, nursemaid, diplomat. Ray Illingworth in his book Captaincy added to that with: “He needs to have the patience of a saint, the compassion of a social worker, and the skin of a rhino…”

Despite the presence of the coaching staff, the captain has an unnatural burden on his shoulders. The reaction to Stokes’s post-victory celebration was extreme (he was dropped for a Test in the New Zealand series despite lack of clarity on whether the midnight curfew remained in place after a match was over). Stokes’ nose-thumbing or middle-finger wagging or whatever it was that caused him to open the batting and go on a suicide mission was extreme too. England cricket is in that familiar place now — a mess.

If there was one man who raised it to great heights recently, it was Stokes. If there is one who is the symbol of everything wrong with it now, it is Stokes. A great all rounder and inspiring captain jumped before he was pushed — other captains haven’t been so lucky.

One of India’s finest, Srinivas Venkatraghavan had the mortification of hearing of his sacking from the pilot on the PA system of the aircraft carrying the team back to India after a tour of England. Australia’s Kim Hughes bid a tearful farewell after yet another defeat against the West Indies.

After England’s defeat to India at Lord’s in ’86, skipper David Gower was at the post-match interview while in the dressing room chief selector Peter May was offering the captaincy to Mike Gatting. Gower was the last to know. “You will have the worst time of your life,” former England captain Brian Close told a successor, Ian Botham about captaincy.

The captain is the focal point of the pressure on a team, and feels the heat the most. In Stokes’ case, there was the added strain of ‘Bazball’, a wonderful system of play when things were going well but without a fall-back position when things were going badly. It was exciting while it lasted, but when it unravelled in Australia, Stokes and his men losing the Ashes series 1-4, the sharpened knives could be seen glinting. Victory is the only justification for any system, even the ones difficult to understand or accept.

Perhaps Virat Kohli was speaking for the majority when he explained why he gave up captaincy: “I was completely spent. I was consumed by it. It was gruesome.” Interesting choice of words, but the message is clear. As the great Mike Brearley pointed out in his classic, The Art of Captaincy, “We receive repeated intimations of our own fallibility.” It helped that skipper Brearley was a philosopher, psychoanalyst and author, but he is unique.

Captains have to absorb the pressure so the rest of the team can play freely. Stokes removed the fear of failure from the players, and backed them for fitting in. But in the end he was overwhelmed. A cautionary tale? Perhaps, but was it worth it?

Ben Stokes’ magical knock at Headingley against Australia in 2019 defied all odds, as the England all-rounder, alongside No. 11 Jack Leach, pulled off one of the most improbable victories in Test history.

The innings was one of the major highlights of Stokes’ career.

England batter Tom Banton said Stokes — who retired from international cricket on Monday — had a huge impact on the game, and identified the Headingley epic as his favourite moment.

“His knock at Headingley, batting with my Somerset teammate Jack Leach, is something I’ll always remember. It’s something me and the Somerset boys always joke about with Jack Leach in the changing room,” Banton said in an online interaction on Tuesday.

Banton, who is part of the England squad that will take on India in the first T20I at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday, has been closely following the rapid rise of young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

“I try and watch every time Sooryavanshi plays — whether it’s in the IPL or with the India-A team. I think the most impressive thing is just how consistently he is doing it. He is obviously a special talent, and hopefully it continues for him,” Banton said.

The 27-year-old added that he hoped Sooryavanshi “gets a go” at international cricket, allowing “the world to see what he can do”.

(Watch England vs. India live – 1st T20I on July 1, 2026, from 10:00 PM IST on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD and Sony Max)

The guarded player and the maverick talisman. English cricket has often thrown up players in these two categories. In the segment of the magician star, lit up by Ian Botham, and briefly embellished by Andrew Flintoff, Ben Stokes walked in with the swagger of a pirate courting both thrills and self-destruction.

Born in New Zealand, but with talent burnished in England, Stokes always hinted that a sporting miracle was possible. Often, he delivered on that count, as player and captain, even if towards the end, an Ashes defeat Down Under and the latest trauma against the visiting Black Caps left him ragged.

As the 35-year-old called time on his international career, he leaves with fine statistics — 7273 Test runs and 252 wickets, besides critical numbers in limited-overs cricket too.

It was never easy for Stokes. He sat on his haunches after watching Carlos Brathwaite hammer him for four sixes in the 2016 ICC World T20 final at Eden Gardens. A lesser man would have dissipated, but Stokes emerged stronger.

As he departs, there will be talk about his mental health issues, which he candidly admitted. And there will be scrutiny over his wretched run-ins at watering holes. The latest episode during the current series against New Zealand left him on the bench for the second Test. Whether that forced him to walk away will remain a matter of speculation.

But in the larger picture, Stokes lent belief within the England ranks. He helped Old Blighty win its first 50-over World Cup, thanks to his heroics at Lord’s in 2019. In the same year, his unbeaten 135 humbled Australia in an Ashes joust at Headingley.

Stokes the batter may have outshone the bowler but he always ran in hard, was willing to be both the stock and shock bowler, while James Anderson and Stuart Broad gained the accolades. And as a left-handed exponent with the willow, he could scythe through the best attacks, and if needed down the shutters.

Obviously the synergy he shared with coach Brendon McCullum will be analysed as the duo believed that every move on the ground was an act of pressing forward towards victory. It was spectacular to watch when it worked and frustrating to endure when it backfired.

Stokes leaves with an aura even if his sporting twilight was dull. When nostalgia draws Botham into conversations, Stokes would not be far and that is a splendid achievement.

Two men born in New Zealand have been in the headlines recently. For one of them, Ben Stokes, born in Christchurch, the headline is his natural habitat. The other, Kane Williamson, born in Tauranga, announced his retirement in the middle of a Test series against an England side originally led by Stokes.

Williamson is one of the nicest players to have held a cricket bat, a modern icon, and possibly the greatest batter from his country. Yet, you do not retire in the middle of a series without upsetting team plans, throwing less experienced players into the cauldron, and causing some chaos. Head coach Rob Walter put it as delicately as possible: “You don’t lose Kane Williamson off the team sheet and get stronger.”

Still, even he bought into the prevailing talk of altruism and magnanimity saying, “That’s the person that he is, and just [shows] the regard that he holds the team in to not just carry on but actually to hand the opportunity to someone else who would take his place and fill a more long-term role for this team.”

How much more altruistic and magnanimous might it have been had Williamson called it a day ahead of the series (New Zealand trail 0-1) so it wouldn’t throw the team into turmoil?

Wrong timing

I think it is selfish to do it the way he did. The man whose timing was impeccable, got it wrong. Perhaps he wanted to play one final Test at Lord’s.

New Zealand’s Kane Williamson
| Photo Credit:
Action Images via Reuters

Stokes got his timing wrong too — but he was not allowed to get away with it. As in the case of Williamson, this had something to do with his public image. Stokes, who missed an Ashes series because of charges of affray (which were ultimately dismissed by an English Court), has a reputation of a player who is likely to get into trouble and as captain must be made an example of.

The details of what happened in the Chelsea night club after England had won the Lord’s Test are not clear. What is known is that a rugby player threw a punch at Gus Atkinson who was with Stokes, but missed and hit a security guard instead. Neither of the England players present has been accused of getting physical.

Stokes is paying for breaking the midnight curfew, a rule he was partly responsible for bringing into force. But England had just won a Test, there were ten days to go before the next one, and one might have expected a certain leeway.

What is it with recent English all-rounders? Ian Botham was a legendary trouble-maker. At a World Cup, a drunk Andrew Flintoff took a pedalo hoping to meet up with Botham who he thought was having a drink on a boat.

Had the roles been reversed — with Williamson breaking the curfew and Stokes announcing his retirement mid-series — it is possible that again, only one of them might have got away with it.

This is not to say that team discipline is unimportant. Ironically, vice-captain Harry Brook did not automatically take over from Stokes because he too had been involved in a night club incident on the eve of a One-Day International in New Zealand. England’s damage control involved bringing back Joe Root as captain to replace his successor.

England’s cricket board sees merit in bringing matters of indiscipline to the public; or if it is public knowledge already, not getting into a cover-up mode. It is comforting to think — as an Indian fan told me recently — that such things do not happen in India. But of course they do. An Indian player has written about how, spotting the manager while returning to the hotel after a night out, he pretended he was on a morning run!

Indian players were once treated like schoolboys, but now are given credit for being adults. Stories of old-timers unable to bowl because they were nursing hangovers are legion. But in today’s set-up the competition for places is too severe for players to take such chances.

The lessons from the New Zealand-born is that success (and temperament) dissolves all flaws. Had England won the Ashes in Australia (they lost 1-4), Stokes may have been treated more like Williamson!

Two men born in New Zealand have been in the headlines recently. For one of them, Ben Stokes, born in Christchurch, the headline is his natural habitat. The other, Kane Williamson, born in Tauranga, announced his retirement in the middle of a Test series against an England side originally led by Stokes.

Williamson is one of the nicest players to have held a cricket bat, a modern icon, and possibly the greatest batter from his country. Yet, you do not retire in the middle of a series without upsetting team plans, throwing less experienced players into the cauldron, and causing some chaos. Head coach Rob Walter put it as delicately as possible: “You don’t lose Kane Williamson off the team sheet and get stronger.”

Still, even he bought into the prevailing talk of altruism and magnanimity saying, “That’s the person that he is, and just [shows] the regard that he holds the team in to not just carry on but actually to hand the opportunity to someone else who would take his place and fill a more long-term role for this team.”

How much more altruistic and magnanimous might it have been had Williamson called it a day ahead of the series (New Zealand trail 0-1) so it wouldn’t throw the team into turmoil?

Wrong timing

I think it is selfish to do it the way he did. The man whose timing was impeccable, got it wrong. Perhaps he wanted to play one final Test at Lord’s.

Stokes got his timing wrong too — but he was not allowed to get away with it. As in the case of Williamson, this had something to do with his public image. Stokes, who missed an Ashes series because of charges of affray (which were ultimately dismissed by an English Court), has a reputation of a player who is likely to get into trouble and as captain must be made an example of.

The details of what happened in the Chelsea night club after England had won the Lord’s Test are not clear. What is known is that a rugby player threw a punch at Gus Atkinson who was with Stokes, but missed and hit a security guard instead. Neither of the England players present has been accused of getting physical.

Stokes is paying for breaking the midnight curfew, a rule he was partly responsible for bringing into force. But England had just won a Test, there were ten days to go before the next one, and one might have expected a certain leeway.

What is it with recent English all-rounders? Ian Botham was a legendary trouble-maker. At a World Cup, a drunk Andrew Flintoff took a pedalo hoping to meet up with Botham who he thought was having a drink on a boat.

Had the roles been reversed — with Williamson breaking the curfew and Stokes announcing his retirement mid-series — it is possible that again, only one of them might have got away with it.

This is not to say that team discipline is unimportant. Ironically, vice-captain Harry Brook did not automatically take over from Stokes because he too had been involved in a night club incident on the eve of a One-Day International in New Zealand. England’s damage control involved bringing back Joe Root as captain to replace his successor.

England’s cricket board sees merit in bringing matters of indiscipline to the public; or if it is public knowledge already, not getting into a cover-up mode. It is comforting to think — as an Indian fan told me recently — that such things do not happen in India. But of course they do. An Indian player has written about how, spotting the manager while returning to the hotel after a night out, he pretended he was on a morning run!

Indian players were once treated like schoolboys, but now are given credit for being adults. Stories of old-timers unable to bowl because they were nursing hangovers are legion. But in today’s set-up the competition for places is too severe for players to take such chances.

The lessons from the New Zealand-born is that success (and temperament) dissolves all flaws. Had England won the Ashes in Australia (they lost 1-4), Stokes may have been treated more like Williamson!

England captain Ben Stokes’ recovery from a broken cheekbone will keep him sidelined for the start of the county cricket season.

The 34-year-old Durham star was was hit by a ball during a training session with academy players early last month, and he had surgery soon afterward.

Stokes has not played since the final game of England’s 4-1 Ashes loss in Australia in January. He’ll miss the Durham’s County Championship opener against Kent next week.

The all-rounder could return for matches against Worcestershire in early May, Durham coach Ryan Campbell said.

England’s first summer test match is against New Zealand beginning June 4. Last week, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced it is sticking with the current leadership following its review of the Ashes tour.

Managing director Rob Key, coach Brendon McCullum, and Stokes as captain kept their jobs after England lost the Ashes in 11 days with two games to spare.