Stokes praises 'great man' Stephen Fleming but voices concern for Joe Root during two‑hour podcast
Over a two-hour podcast with Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes said he is at peace with his decision to retire from England duty five weeks after quitting and described himself as "definitely" retired beyond playing for Durham and in franchise cricket. He acknowledged errors in his captaincy and raised concerns about Joe Root while expressing support for the appointment of Stephen Fleming.
Stokes spoke at length about the team's recent problems and his own motivations in the interview, touching on England's 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, the Trent Bridge farewell against New Zealand, and off-field culture. He admitted he put "way too much" on his shoulders as captain and said the team could have communicated better in Australia, citing the loss of a commanding position during the series opener in Perth. He also criticised cricket's drinking culture, saying, "[It] has been the same since the 1980s." Stokes declined to dwell on too many team shortcomings from the Ashes or to express regret about the Trent Bridge farewell.
On the reasons for his retirement, Stokes said the main driver was becoming strung out during the five-month gap after Australia and that he had over-thought and over-trained in that period, leaving himself not Test-ready. He mentioned a fractured cheekbone sustained in the nets at Durham but described it as not relevant to his decision to retire. He gave no indication of reversing his retirement when the home Ashes rolls around next summer.
Discussing leadership, Stokes conceded he should have delegated more as captain, saying he put "way too much" on himself rather than sharing responsibility. He rejected suggestions of tactical divergence from Brendon McCullum, saying everyone was on the same page in Australia, and defended repeating the mid-tour break in Noosa. He also said Harry Brook should have been promoted from vice-captain and questioned the message sent when Brook did not step up while Stokes was suspended for the second Test against New Zealand and Root resumed a leadership role.
Stokes spoke warmly of Stephen Fleming, calling him a "great man" and referencing their previous work together at Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. On Joe Root, Stokes expressed concern that Root could re-enter what became an "unhealthy relationship" with the captaincy at the end of his first spell, saying: "He just always puts the team first and he always comes second. 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."
When questions turned to disciplinary matters, Stokes sidestepped a direct answer about the night out with Gus Atkinson after the Lord’s Test and the team curfew, instead making light of the incident with in-jokes about going to McDonald’s for a Filet-O-Fish. He said there might have been other contributors to his decision to retire but declined to detail them: "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."
Stokes suggested that had he not retired, Brendon McCullum might still be Test head coach rather than being limited to white-ball duties, but he did not expand on that point. He was guarded when asked about his relationship with England team director Rob Key and declined to explore regime timing in detail.
Stokes concluded the interview by reiterating that he is "definitely" retired from England duty beyond county and franchise commitments and gave no sign of returning for the home Ashes next summer.