Former England captain Ben Stokes has said he hopes to return to the game as a coach after retirement, revealing that leading the England team from the dressing room would be a dream role. Although uncertain whether the opportunity will ever arise, Stokes said coaching England is an ambition he would gladly pursue.
I want to be a coach. I know what I want to do in terms of staying within the game—which is to be a coachBen Stokes
England job a dream
Stokes said he would relish the chance to coach the national side if the opportunity came his way. "Would I love to be coach of England one day? Absolutely. I would love to be able to do that. Do I think it's going to happen? I don't know. No idea. Then, further on from that, I don't know. I just really like the idea of being, again, in some form of leadership away from playing," he said.
Retirement followed difficult season
Stokes stepped down as England's Test captain and retired from international cricket after England's 2-1 home Test series defeat to New Zealand in June. The decision came after a disappointing period for England, which had also suffered a 4-1 Ashes series defeat to Australia during the previous winter.
McCullum remark
Reflecting on the end of Brendon McCullum's tenure as England's Test coach, Stokes suggested the New Zealander might have stayed on had he not retired from international cricket. "I was [surprised]. If I hadn't made the decision that I made four weeks ago, Baz would still be coach. So it's my fault!" he said.
A successful partnership
Stokes captained England's Test side from 2022 to 2026, forming a successful partnership with McCullum that reshaped the team's aggressive approach to red-ball cricket. McCullum announced his departure as England's Test head coach just weeks after Stokes called time on his international career. The decision was revealed on the fourth day of England's third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.