‘Why and why now?’ – Michael Atherton questions Ben Stokes’ shock retirement timing

England captain Ben Stokes stunned the cricketing world after announcing that he will retire from international cricket at the end of the ongoing third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. The unexpected announcement came while the match was still in progress, leaving fans and experts surprised by both the decision and its timing.

The news was made public shortly before Tea on Day 4 of the Test. Interestingly, Stokes also promoted himself to open the innings as England began their chase of a challenging 373-run target. The all-rounder played an attacking knock of 30 runs from just 20 balls before holing out to mid-on. England’s situation worsened moments later when Jacob Bethell was dismissed for a duck, reducing the hosts from 50/1 to 50/2.

Before the start of play on Sunday, June 28, Stokes informed his England teammates about his decision to retire. However, he chose not to reveal the reasons behind it immediately, saying that the “reasons can wait.”

The announcement came just days after Stokes returned to the England side following disciplinary action. He had missed the second Test at The Oval after breaching the team’s midnight curfew while celebrating England’s victory in the first Test. The incident also involved teammate Gus Atkinson.

Former England captain Michael Atherton admitted he was taken aback by the timing of Stokes’ announcement and raised questions over the decision.

“It’s an extraordinary moment, a stunning moment, and it begs a number of questions, why and why now?,” said Atherton, commentating for Sky Sports.

“In the middle of a day’s cricket with still a day to go with a match to win, draw or lose and a series on the line. But I think there have been some signs there throughout this series, both at Lord’s initially when he looked like a man who had been leading England for four years,” he continued.

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan also shared his thoughts, suggesting that something may have influenced Stokes’ decision, although he hoped it was a personal choice rather than the result of any dressing-room issues.

“Clearly something has triggered in his mind. You look at his contract that he’s got until next year – there’s a home Ashes series next year.

“There were so many rumours about fallouts but I do hope that wasn’t the case, I hope that he just woke up one morning and said he’d had enough. He’s given it everything for such a long period of time,” he said to BBC.

Stokes’ announcement has sparked widespread debate across the cricketing world, with many wondering what prompted one of England’s greatest modern-day all-rounders to bring the curtain down on his international career while a crucial Test match and series were still hanging in the balance.

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