Michael Vaughan links Ben Stokes’ retirement to ECB decisions

England fans were left heartbroken after Ben Stokes made a shocking announcement during the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. The England captain told his teammates before the start of play on Sunday (June 28) that he would retire from international cricket after this match.

His decision came as a complete surprise. Even Stokes did not explain why he had taken such a big decision. He only informed his teammates that the reasons behind his retirement could be discussed later. That has led to many questions about what really happened behind the scenes.

Michael Vaughan blames the ECB for Ben Stokes’ retirement

Reacting to the shocking call, former England captain Michael Vaughan believes there may be more than one reason behind Ben Stokes’ retirement from international cricket.

Yet, the commentator feels one of the biggest reasons could have been the relationship between Stokes and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Right after the shock, Ben Stokes confirmed his cricket comeback just after retirement.

Michael Vaughan said on the BBC’s Test Match Special: “I just think about the last two weeks. When you’re the England captain, you’ve got to trust those that you’re working with. You have to trust everyone around you, the management, and the ECB.”

Michael Vaughan reveals what may have pushed Ben Stokes to retire

Vaughan has stressed that a captain needs full support from everyone around him. He said that when a player is leading the national team, he must have complete trust in the management and the cricket board. And he feels that trust may have slowly broken over the last few weeks.

The former England skipper also said that he does not think this was the only reason behind the star all-rounder’s retirement. He pointed out that the England captain has gone through a very difficult period in recent months, including the Ashes hammering, Nusa, and then the nightclub incident.

Vaughan further explained, “I honestly think there’s been a lack of trust, and that triggers you. I’m not saying it’s going to be the only reason why Ben Stokes has stepped down, but all these things—the winter was a tough winter, and there were incidents on and off the field.”

He added, “Even in the build-up to that first Test at Lord’s, he didn’t look quite right. He wasn’t quite the Ben Stokes from a few years ago. Then the incident happened, and he’s clearly had a fallout with the ECB over the last week or so. That’s a little bit of the trust that he’s probably lost in them.”

Ben Stokes’ international career in numbers

Meanwhile, Stokes is all set to end his unforgettable international career after almost 15 years. He was one of England’s best all-rounders and won many matches with both his batting and bowling.

In Test cricket, Stokes played 122 matches, scored 7,243 runs, and hit 14 centuries, with the highest score of 258. He also took 252 wickets, proving his value as a complete all-rounder. He also played 114 ODI matches, scored 3,463 runs with the help of five centuries, and picked up 74 wickets.

He was one of the biggest heroes of England’s historic 2019 ODI World Cup-winning campaign. Stokes also represented England in 43 T20I matches, scoring 585 runs and taking 26 wickets. One of his most memorable performances came in the 2022 T20 World Cup final, where he played an unbeaten knock of 52 runs and guided England to another ICC trophy.