Ben Stokes has issued a two-word message after news emerged that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had contacted the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) about a video which announced the all-rounder's retirement from international cricket. The 35-year-old confirmed that he would be retiring from England duty in the middle of the third Test with New Zealand at Trent Bridge last month.
Retirement Announcement and ICC Investigation
The ECB posted a video on social media at around 3.25pm on day four of the test in Nottingham, where Stokes was in the middle of a bowling spell for England. Stokes went on to take a wicket with his next delivery following the announcement, and would go on to play his final day of international cricket the following day as England lost by 160 runs at Trent Bridge, suffering a 2-1 series defeat.
The video posted by the ECB was filmed inside the England dressing room before the start of play, and news emerged on Wednesday that the ICC had contacted the Board over an alleged breach of anti-corruption rules. The BBC have reported that the ICC have informed the ECB that the video taken from inside the England dressing room is a breach of rules relating to the standards of the players and match officials’ areas (PMOA).
Stokes' Two-Word Response
In response to news about the alleged breach of rules, Stokes posted a two-word message on X, which simply read: 'Sack him.' The alleged rule breach relates to Article 2.2.11 of the standards set by the PMOA, which states that all federations should: 'Ensure that there are no fixed or temporary video cameras or other recording equipment set up within any dressing room used by the teams for the purposes of broadcasting video or audio footage.' The report states that the ICC sent a letter to the ECB about the alleged rule breach, which states that the violation relates to the publishing of footage from inside the dressing room before the Test finished.
Stokes Explains Retirement Decision
After the end of the third test between England and New Zealand, Stokes explained the reasons behind his decision to retire from international cricket. 'I've been through some rocky times, personally, having to feel like I'm pushing myself through and feel like I'm having to do something because it's the right thing to do,' Stokes told Sky Sports. 'To be honest, it might sound quite selfish, but this decision is generally the best thing for me right now. Whether that means it's the best thing for the team going forward, I hope so. It comes down to what I think is going to allow me to still love this game that I've played since I was a kid and has given me a career. I'm very excited about the next part of what I get to do - going back and playing for my boyhood club Durham. There's been moments this week where it's been really tough and again that just adds to everything. It really makes it very clear in your mind that you're probably making the right decision.'
