Ben Stokes to retire soon? All-rounder announces Brendon McCullum-inspired post-retirement plans

England Test captain Ben Stokes recently opened up about his plans after international retirement. Stokes reckons that he can go down the path of becoming a cricket coach after his playing days are over.

It is to be noted that England's head coach Brendon McCullum also did the same thing after his international retirement. After almost six years of his international retirement, Brendon McCullum was appointed England's head coach in Test cricket.

Both Stokes and McCullum share a great relationship between them. Both have been credited with bringing an aggressive brand of cricket into England's Test team. Now, it seems that Stokes might follow McCullum's footsteps to become a coach after retirement.

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Ben Stokes wants to follow Brendon McCullum's footsteps after international retirement

While speaking to The Telegraph, Ben Stokes opened up about his future plans of becoming a coach. The 33-year-old reckoned that his love for the game would force him not to leave the cricket field despite being retired.

"I can’t see myself being someone who when the day comes when I do stop playing, I’ll just not be involved with cricket. I do see myself probably wanting to go down the route of being a coach. I think that’s just with my love for the game. When I’m done playing, I’d love to be able to try and affect a few people’s careers," Ben Stokes stated.

Ben Stokes had retired from the ODI format but surprisingly decided to come back before the ODI World Cup 2023. However, England's poor performance in the tournament has further put question marks on his decision to come back.

Will Ben Stokes play Champions Trophy 2025?

While speaking on his chances for the Champions Trophy 2025, the all-rounder Ben Stokes accepted that it is hard to deny participation in such events. However, he was satisfied with whatever he has achieved in white-ball cricket in his career so far.

"It’s hard to turn down those sort of big events, isn’t it? If I didn’t play another white-ball game, I’ll be very content with how many games I’ve played and what I’ve been able to achieve. I don’t know what the plan is going forward, whether they see me being a part of that or not. I’m sure there’ll be some conversation at some point about that. And I’ll be happy either way," Ben Stokes said.

Ben Stokes played a key role in England's title wins in ODI World Cup 2019 and T20 World Cup 2022, scoring crucial runs in the finals of both tournaments. He was the Player of the Match in the famous 2019 ODI World Cup final against New Zealand.

However, his career has been constantly hampered by injuries. Recently, he was ruled out of the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka due to the hamstring injury he suffered during the Hundred 2024.

Ben Stokes speaks on Ashes 2025-26

The 33-year-old allrounder also shared his views on the Ashes series next year. He wants to leave no stone unturned against Australia and has already started preparing for that series.

"I don’t think we’ll be heading there with that feeling of, ‘Oh, we’ve got unfinished business because of the last time. Every Ashes series is its own event, its own occasion. It’s just giving ourselves the best opportunity to be able to pick a squad that we think is going to give us the best chance of winning out in Australia. We definitely know what we want."

England have not regained the Ashes since 2015. They have lost 13 out of the last 15 Tests played in Australia and have won the last three Test series played down under. However, England's team management and skipper Ben Stokes have already confirmed that they have started preparing for the highly anticipated series.