Ben Stokes has confirmed his international retirement is permanent and revealed a clear ambition to coach England in the future, ruling out any return to the Test arena — including next summer's home Ashes series against Australia. The former England Test captain made the disclosures on the For The Love of Cricket podcast, hosted by former team-mates Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler.

Stokes on His Coaching Ambitions

Stokes was unambiguous about his post-playing goals. He said he knows what he wants to do in terms of staying within the game — which is to be a coach — and that he is doing his level three coaching now while still playing, so that when the day comes that he is no longer playing, he will have all that signed off and done.

He added that he would love to be coach of England one day and that he really likes the idea of being in some form of leadership away from playing. The remarks signal that Stokes views his transition from player to coach as a deliberate, structured process rather than a distant aspiration.

Why the 2027 Ashes Door Is Shut

Despite Rob Key, managing director of the England men's cricket team, publicly stating the door remains open for Stokes to reverse his retirement, Stokes himself has firmly closed it. He said he is 35 and that if he is not going to be captain, he would find it tough to continue — not because he would struggle to be led by someone else, but because he has given so much of this part of his career to the job. If he were to play for England again, it would be as captain. He added that he was very comfortable retiring and not thinking about playing for England again.

Stokes retired from international cricket following England's Test series against New Zealand, drawing the curtain on one of the most celebrated careers in English cricket. His final weeks in the role were complicated by a personal incident — he missed the second Test of that series after an episode at a London nightclub.

Stokes on Joe Root's Captaincy and Harry Brook

Stokes, who had backed Harry Brook to succeed him as Test captain, expressed candid surprise at the appointment of Joe Root instead. Brook had been elevated to vice-captain for last winter's Ashes tour under Stokes. Stokes said that if you think someone is going to be a good captain or a good leader, you should just give it to them. He said he understood the reasoning but questioned what message that sent to Brook, who was vice-captain and yet was not handed the captaincy when it became available.

Despite his surprise, Stokes was warm about Root's prospects. He said he loves Root, wishes him nothing but success, and hopes he goes on to achieve amazing things in his role as captain — adding that he thinks Root will really enjoy it alongside new Test head coach Stephen Fleming, the former New Zealand captain, whom Stokes described as a great man he has worked with before.

The Bazball Era and McCullum's Exit

Stokes held the Test captaincy for four years from 2022, partnering head coach Brendon McCullum in reshaping England's playing identity under the ultra-aggressive 'Bazball' philosophy. The pairing initially produced a remarkable run of results, but England's form deteriorated sharply in their final stretch, losing seven of their last nine Tests.

McCullum's departure from the Test coaching role was announced just two weeks after Stokes went public with his retirement — a sequence Stokes acknowledged with characteristic self-deprecation. He said he was surprised, adding that if he had not made the decision he made four weeks ago, McCullum would still be coach — calling it his own fault.

Stokes recounted informing McCullum of his decision in a notably understated moment, saying he told him over toast, simply saying he was done. He noted that McCullum had also received the tap on the shoulder but remains excited and happy to be moving forward with the white-ball side, where he is doing a very good job. Fleming has since been appointed as the new England Test head coach, succeeding McCullum.

With Stokes now focused on his coaching qualifications and the Test captaincy handed to Root, England's post-Bazball era is fully under way — and Stokes appears intent on shaping its next chapter from the dugout rather than the crease.