Ben Stokes has said he has no plans to retire from international cricket, insisting he is “very happy” with his decision despite ending his England career with the Test series defeat in New Zealand.The England captain announced on Sunday, during the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, that he would retire from international cricket after the match, making it 15 years.His final appearance in an England shirt ended on Monday as New Zealand cruised to 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.A day after the announcement, Stokes was asked by the BBC if he would be comfortable watching England’s Ashes series against Australia next year from his sofa.“I’m very satisfied with everything right now,” Stokes said. “It’s a decision you don’t take lightly, it’s taken a long time, I’ve talked to a lot of people I live close to.”“I’m done, my friend, and I’m very happy.”Stokes’ break came after a difficult few weeks. He led England to victory in the first Test at Lord’s before hosting an event one night in London with teammate Gus Atkinson. The two players were at a nightclub when a member of England’s security team was allegedly hit by a Saracens rugby player.England left Stokes out of the second Test after saying he had breached his contract. He returned to captain the team in the third test after an investigation into the incident.Looking back on the incident, Stokes described the moment as both “sad” and “exciting”. He also admitted that the episode may have played a role in his decision to quit, although he said it wasn’t the only reason.“But there’s a big point that in the last 6-12 months I think everything I’ve been doing for a long time has been going well,” Stokes said.“Being in this position as a captain – as exciting as it is, as much an honor as it is – there are some negative consequences of doing it. I think that’s the sad part that people don’t always see.”
