Ben Stokes has said he is not considering retiring from international cricket, insisting he is “very happy” with his decision despite ending his England career with a Test series defeat to New Zealand.The England captain announced on Sunday, midway through the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, that he would retire from international cricket after the game, bringing the curtain down on a 15-year career.His final for England ended on Monday as New Zealand completed a 160-run victory to win the three-match series 2-1. Stokes spent the final stages of the match watching from the balcony outside the England dressing room.The day after he made the announcement, Stokes was asked by the BBC if he would be comfortable watching England’s home Ashes series against Australia next year from his couch.“I’m incredibly happy with everything at the moment,” Stokes said. “It’s a decision you don’t take lightly. It took me a long time. I talked to a lot of people who are close to me.“I’m done, my friend, and I’m very happy.”Stokes’ retirement comes after a difficult few weeks. He led England to victory in the first Test at Lord’s before being involved in an incident during a night out in London with teammate Gus Atkinson. The two players were present at the nightclub when a member of England’s security staff was allegedly punched by a rugby player from England’s Saracens club.Stokes has been left out of the second Test by England after saying he breached contractual obligations. He returned as team captain in the third Test after the investigation into the incident was over.Reflecting on the events, Stokes described the period as “unfortunate” and “interesting”. He also admitted that the episode may have played a role in his decision to retire, although he suggested it wasn’t the only reason.“But there’s the overriding fact that in the last 6-12 months I think everything I’ve done over a long period of time has taken its toll,” Stokes said.“Being in this role of captain – as good as it is, as exciting as it is, as big an honor as it is – there are some negative effects of that. I guess that’s the unfortunate side that people don’t always see.”
