ENG vs NZ 2026: Andrew Strauss left ‘dumbfounded’ by Ben Stokes’ retirement announcement | CricTracker

Former England captain and opening batter Sir Andrew Strauss revealed he was left puzzled at Ben Stokes‘ shock retirement was announced amid the third Test between England and New Zealand at Trent Bridge. 

Stokes’ retirement from international cricket was announced by the England and Wales Cricket Board during the late hours of the second session of Day 4. Strauss expressed his shock at the decision, but further added that he was aware of how much the captaincy responsibilities could be a source of burnout. 

“Like many people I was dumbfounded yesterday (Sunday) when the whispers started coming out that Ben Stokes was about to announce his retirement. It was both shocking and perhaps inevitable at the same time,” Strauss wrote on his LinkedIn page.

“This is a guy that has given everything to the England shirt but also has worn his emotions on his sleeve throughout that journey. The truth is that the job just burns you out, especially if you take on as much responsibility as Ben did in the role. He will rightly go down as one of England’s genuine greats. This is a guy who revelled in the big moments. A genuine superstar,” he added.

Strauss further criticised the decision of the England management to announce the decision during the game. England were chasing the match, with New Zealand having established a significant lead in the second innings. He believes the decision should have been announced either before or after the game, so as not to hamper the proceedings in the match. 

“I hesitate to say this but I’m not convinced that the whole thing was orchestrated the right way yesterday- it seems like a huge distraction to a team that was battling to avoid a series defeat and the cricket in the last session very much had an ‘end of term’ feel to it. Everyone has the right to bow out on their own terms, and no-one has earned that more than Ben, but announcing before or after the game seems like a more sensible approach. When you are in the middle of a match, the only thing that matters is the performance of the team,” Strauss said. 

Just moments after the decision went out in the public domain, Stokes, into his 11th over of a marathon spell, picked up the wicket of Zak Foulkes. With England chasing a mammoth 373, Stokes chose to open the batting and scored a quickfire 20-ball 30, taking the attack to the Kiwi bowlers before he holed out in the deep. Strauss stated that the gap that Stokes leaves in the game would be impossible to compensate for. 

“It is a small gripe in the greater scheme of things. English cricket will be far worse (and less interesting!) without Ben involved. Opposition teams will be breathing a sigh of relief and there will be a huge vacuum in the England team that will be impossible to fill,” he added.

Get every cricket updates! Follow Us: