New Delhi, August 4: Former captain Ben Stokes has expressed his desire to become the coach of the England cricket team in the future. He has firmly stated that he has retired from playing cricket for good. While discussing his long-term goals, Stokes dismissed the possibility of making a return to international cricket during the 2027 Ashes series.
In a podcast titled ‘For the Love of Cricket’ with former teammates Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler, Stokes shared, “I know what I want to do to stay involved in the game – and that is to become a coach. I am currently pursuing my Level 3 coaching course while still playing, as I want to ensure that all my coaching qualifications are completed when I retire. I would absolutely love to be the coach of England one day. I really enjoy the idea of being in a leadership role outside of playing.”
Stokes also supported Harry Brook as a potential successor to his captaincy. Brook was appointed as Stokes’ vice-captain for the Test team during last winter’s Ashes tour, but the captaincy was instead handed to Joe Root. Stokes expressed his surprise at this decision.
He remarked, “If you think someone will make a good captain or leader, then just give them the responsibility. I understood the reasoning, but I still wondered what message it sends? He is the vice-captain. And then the captain is not playing, but he doesn’t get to captain. What’s that about? I really like Root. I wish him nothing but success. I hope he does a fantastic job as captain. I think he will enjoy it immensely with Fleming. He’s a great guy. I’ve worked with Fleming before.”
Ben Stokes captained the Test team for four years starting in 2022, transforming England’s playing style alongside head coach Brendan McCullum, a strategy that became known as ‘Bazball.’
Just two weeks after Stokes announced his retirement, McCullum stepped down from his Test role. Subsequently, England appointed former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming as the new Test coach. McCullum’s four-year tenure began in 2022, marked by a period of aggressive batting and progressive cricket. However, the team’s performance has recently declined, losing seven out of their last nine Test matches.
Stokes ruled out the possibility of returning for the upcoming home Ashes series next summer, stating, “I never thought I would just leave and continue playing as a player. I’m 35 years old. If I’m not captain, I think it would be difficult for me to do that. I’m not saying it would be hard to play under someone else’s captaincy. I just think that because I’ve dedicated such a large part of my career to this role, if I play for England, it will be as a captain. I was very comfortable with not thinking about playing for England after retiring.”
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