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Over the course of two hours chatting to his old friends Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler on their podcast, Ben Stokes sounded at peace with his decision to retire from England duty five weeks ago. Dare we say it, refreshed and ready to go again.
Beyond playing for Durham and in franchise cricket, Stokes is “definitely” retired, however, and there was not even a hint of a possible U-turn when the home Ashes rolls around next summer. Nor, given his character, was this first interview since calling it a day ever going to be one stuffed with regret.
There was an admission from Stokes he put “way too much” on his own shoulders as England captain, rather than delegate to others. And there was a comment that the team could have communicated better in Australia last winter, not least when they tossed away a commanding position during the series opener in Perth.
Stokes spoke openly about cricket’s relationship with alcohol, insisting the sport – not just the England team – has a drinking culture out of step with increased professionalism. “[It] has been the same since the 1980s,” he said. “As the game has got better and better and better, that thing has just stayed around.”
But, equally, he was never going to own up to too many of the team’s shortcomings during the 4-1 Ashes defeat that English cricket is still struggling to shake off. Nor was he going to look back with much sheepishness regarding the farewell against New Zealand at Trent Bridge that many felt was a bit too self-indulgent.
Indeed, beyond the team’s lack of game awareness at times, few decisions in the past year would have been made differently. Everyone was on the same page in Australia and there was no tactical divergence from Brendon McCullum. Noosa – the mid-tour break that invited headlines and questions about the team’s penchant for a good time off the field – would be repeated.
But for all that this was to be expected from an all-action all-rounder who, like Ian Botham before him, prefers to forge ahead rather than look back, there were interesting elements – not least when discussing his successor as Test captain.
Stokes and Joe Root are as tight as you get in English cricket and needless to say there were best wishes as regards the future of the side. In Stephen Fleming, Stokes believes England have selected a “great man”, having worked with the New Zealander previously at Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.
But, despite this hopefulness, Stokes also went on to share his concerns that Root is about to re-enter what became an “unhealthy relationship” with the job at the end of his first spell in charge – concerns that he is not alone in harbouring.
“He just always puts the team first and he always comes second,” said Stokes. “That’s my only concern with it, knowing what he went through last time. Because I don’t want to see that ever happen again. I care for Joe a lot.”
As he said at the end of his last Test, Stokes felt Harry Brook should have been promoted from vice-captain. And here he went on to question the message it sent, likewise Brook not stepping up while Stokes was suspended for the second Test against New Zealand and Root first dipped his toe back into the water.
Though these comments added up to some rare direct criticism of the current regime, just as telling were the moments when Stokes chose not to answer. The most glaring of which came when discussing the infamous night out with Gus Atkinson after the Lord’s Test this summer and the disciplinary action it triggered.
A question about the team’s curfew and who knew what was sidestepped, making way for some in-jokes about being better off heading to McDonald’s for a Filet-O-Fish that night. But there was more than a hint of disquiet about handling of events by his now former employers at the England and Wales Cricket Board.
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“I’m not going to lie and say that there might have been some other things that contributed to the decision [to retire],” said Stokes. “But I’m not here today to go into all that detail. I think there’s a time and a place for that.
“And now isn’t that time because, you know, I don’t want to come across as, you know, bitter towards anyone yet. Cause I’m chilled right now.”
The word “yet” was a telling one, with Stokes citing a desire not to damage the England team but probably aware that divulging too much right now might devalue a future book or some such. By his own admission, the chief driver for retirement was having strung himself out during the five-month gap after Australia.
Aside from a fractured cheekbone sustained in the nets at Durham, albeit not relevant to him calling it a day, he insisted – Stokes owned up to over-thinking and over-training during this protracted down time, to the point of returning anything but Test-ready.
Interestingly, Stokes went on at one stage to say that McCullum might still be the Test head coach – not simply reduced to the white-ball role – had he not retired from England duty. Unfortunately, his reasoning was not explored further.
But listening to him speak, and noting another shouldering of arms when asked about his relationship with the team director, Rob Key, it was hard to escape the notion that had regime change come sooner and more fully, Stokes might not have been speaking as a former England cricketer.
