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‘Why and why now?’ – Michael Atherton questions Ben Stokes’ shock retirement timing

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‘Why and why now?’ - Michael Atherton questions Ben Stokes’ shock retirement timing
‘Why and why now?’ – Michael Atherton questions Ben Stokes’ shock retirement timing. (Photo Source: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

England captain Ben Stokes stunned the cricketing world after announcing that he will retire from international cricket at the end of the ongoing third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. The unexpected announcement came while the match was still in progress, leaving fans and experts surprised by both the decision and its timing.

The news was made public shortly before Tea on Day 4 of the Test. Interestingly, Stokes also promoted himself to open the innings as England began their chase of a challenging 373-run target. The all-rounder played an attacking knock of 30 runs from just 20 balls before holing out to mid-on. England’s situation worsened moments later when Jacob Bethell was dismissed for a duck, reducing the hosts from 50/1 to 50/2.

Before the start of play on Sunday, June 28, Stokes informed his England teammates about his decision to retire. However, he chose not to reveal the reasons behind it immediately, saying that the “reasons can wait.”

The announcement came just days after Stokes returned to the England side following disciplinary action. He had missed the second Test at The Oval after breaching the team’s midnight curfew while celebrating England’s victory in the first Test. The incident also involved teammate Gus Atkinson.

Former England captain Michael Atherton admitted he was taken aback by the timing of Stokes’ announcement and raised questions over the decision.

“It’s an extraordinary moment, a stunning moment, and it begs a number of questions, why and why now?,” said Atherton, commentating for Sky Sports.

“In the middle of a day’s cricket with still a day to go with a match to win, draw or lose and a series on the line. But I think there have been some signs there throughout this series, both at Lord’s initially when he looked like a man who had been leading England for four years,” he continued.

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan also shared his thoughts, suggesting that something may have influenced Stokes’ decision, although he hoped it was a personal choice rather than the result of any dressing-room issues.

“Clearly something has triggered in his mind. You look at his contract that he’s got until next year – there’s a home Ashes series next year.

“There were so many rumours about fallouts but I do hope that wasn’t the case, I hope that he just woke up one morning and said he’d had enough. He’s given it everything for such a long period of time,” he said to BBC.

Stokes’ announcement has sparked widespread debate across the cricketing world, with many wondering what prompted one of England’s greatest modern-day all-rounders to bring the curtain down on his international career while a crucial Test match and series were still hanging in the balance.

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ENG vs IND 2026: Is Virat Kohli playing in the 1st ODI?

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Virat Kohli vs NZ
Virat Kohli vs NZ (Source: BCCI)

India will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing T20I series when they take on England in the first One Day International (ODI) at Edgbaston on Tuesday, July 14. 


ENG vs IND: Toss update

England captain Harry Brook called the toss correctly and opted to bat first on a bright and sunny day in Birmingham. The right-handed batter stated that the surface is excellent to bat on and hopes it will offer spin to the likes of Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson in the second innings. 

On the other hand, India captain Shubman Gill wanted to bowl first, with both captain getting their choice. 


ENG vs IND: Virat Kohli returns to India’s ODI side

After missing the ODI series against Afghanistan due to injury, Virat Kohli returns to India’s 50-over side for the first time since January 2026. The right-handed batter will slot into the number three slot in the side, behind openers Gill and Rohit Sharma. 

Jasprit Bumrah also makes a comeback to the ODI setup. The right-arm pace bowler will play his first one-day game since the 2023 World Cup in Ahmedabad, where the Men in Blue lost to Australia. 


ENG vs IND: What did the captains say?

Harry Brook, England captain

We’re gonna have a bat today. Looks like a good surface, don’t quite know what’s gonna happen, but we fancy our chances with the bat first. Hopefully, we can get a little bit of spin in the second innings. [On the start of the build-up to the 2027 World Cup] Same as what we did in the T20s, really. We got to try and assess conditions as quickly as possible and communicate well and see where we land at the end of the day. [On having a similar ODI and T20I squad] Definitely, definitely, yeah. Having similar amount of players in the T20 side to the one-day side, brings a lot of faith and trust in myself as captain and a lot of backing towards the players as well. So the XI that we’ve got today, we’re very happy to go out there and give India a good crack. [On lacking consistency in the ODIs] We’ve struggled with it a little bit over the last couple of years, but hopefully on the back of that we can turn a page really and start consistently performing as much as we can. We’ve got the side to do that for sure. [On the team combination] We’ve gone with two spinners and three seamers.”

Shubman Gill, India captain:

“[On losing the toss and bowling first] Actually, we’re looking to bowl first. [On India’s preparation after the T20Is] Well, I think most of the boys have been playing the T20s and the rest of the boys we got a bit of rest, I had a bit of training. Got here a couple of days before, so we were practicing. So the environment, the vibe has been really good. [On the importance of the series with the 2027 World Cup in mind] Important series for us, the conditions that we’re going to get here would be a little bit more similar to South Africa as compared to where most of the time we play in India. So in that context, the combination, what kind of different combination we can try and some of the players, who haven’t had that much experience in this format especially, would get some game time. So it will be really good for us. [On the return of the senior players] Yeah, definitely most of the seniors are back. We have got Virat Bhai, Rohit Bhai, KL and Boom back to the squad. So the experience is going to be massive for us. [On leading India again in England] Yeah, very excited for the series, have some really good memories in this venue particularly. So hopefully we’re going to add into that. [On the playing XI] So apart from the usual, we have got four seamers, with Dube and then we’ve got two spinners, Axar and Washi.”


ENG vs IND: Playing XIs

England:

Jacob Bethell, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook (C), Jos Buttler (WK), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jofra Archer, Liam Dawson, Josh Tongue, Adil Rashid

India:

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna

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[Watch] Gurnoor Brar strikes twice in an over, removes set opening pair

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Gurnoor Brar
Gurnoor Brar. (Source:jiostar)

Gurnoor Brar continued his red-hot form in international cricket since his ODI debut last month against Afghanistan. The right-arm seamer was picked in India’s playing XI for the first ODI against England, which is being played at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Tuesday, July 14.

Playing his first overseas match for the Men in Blue, Brar did look a bit nervous in his first over, as Ben Duckett hit him for one four and two sixes. However, the last six came through a stroke of luck for the diminutive England opener, as he top-edged a pull over the long-leg boundary.

In his second over, Brar conceded two boundaries, with Duckett doing damage once again. Indian captain Shubman Gill gave one over to Washington Sundar, allowing Brar to change ends. This move worked wonders for the 26-year-old seamer, as he dismissed both Jacob Bethell and Duckett in his third over.

Bethell was out to a back-of-a-length delivery, as his pull shot was nailed to Washington Sundar, who had to run in from the deep and slide forward to take a fine catch. The southpaw was dismissed for 14 off 31 balls as England’s 61-run partnership came to an end.

Duckett departed two balls later. He tried to play a cut without any intention of keeping it along the ground. The ball almost sailed for a six over deep third man. However, Jasprit Bumrah stopped it in its track. The veteran seamer took the catch above his head with both hands but realised that he could step on the boundary ropes. He tossed the ball in the air, settled himself, and completed the catch, giving Brar his second wicket.

Take a look at the wickets below:

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Nasser Hussain urges ECB to appoint Andy Flower as England's next Test coach

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Nasser Hussain urges ECB to appoint Andy Flower as England's next Test coach
Nasser Hussain urges ECB to appoint Andy Flower as England’s next Test coach (Photo Source: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to appoint Andy Flower as the next Test coach following Brendon McCullum’s tenure.

McCullum’s meticulous approach helped revive England’s Test side during the Bazball era. However, his four-year stint ended on a disappointing note after the team won 11 of its first 13 Tests but lost eight of its final 12 matches. The decline included a disappointing 1-4 Ashes series defeat to Australia, prompting the ECB to consider a change in direction.

Hussain believes Flower is the ideal candidate, having previously coached England from 2009 to 2014. During his tenure, England won multiple Ashes series, including the historic 2010-11 triumph in Australia, and rose to the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test rankings.

“If you’re going to keep Rob Key, whose attention to detail is not his strongest suit, then below him you need someone who is absolutely across everything and doesn’t miss a trick,” Hussain told Sky Sports.

“For me, the best person for that would be Andy Flower by a country mile. Flower took England to number one in the world. I love Flower’s approach to coaching. He was meticulous in everything that he did. That’s what’s been lacking in this England Test side. I would do anything if I was Rob Key and the ECB to go and get Andy Flower,” he added.

Andy Flower’s return, however, may not be straightforward. The Zimbabwean is the head coach of IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru and remains one of the most sought-after coaches in franchise cricket.

ECB chief executive Richard Gould said the board has not yet approached any candidates, with managing director of men’s cricket Rob Key set to lead the recruitment process following Brendon McCullum’s departure. Gould also indicated that the ECB would be open to appointing a coach who continues to work in franchise cricket, including the IPL.

“We haven’t had any contact with any individuals before we’ve had conversation with Brendon McCullum. Rob Key will now be taking those conversations forward. I think you’ll find that we need to be progressive in these issues,” Gould said.

“Where we have players trying to balance between county, franchise and international cricket, we may have to do the same with our coaching staff and support staff. There may well be some compromises that need to be made along the way, but the important thing is that you have got the best individual who offers the best fit and we get them in those positions. It is something we would certainly consider,” he added.

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