Ben Stokes

England have had plenty of all-rounders. They have only had one Ben Stokes. He was born in Christchurch, but the family later relocated to Cumbria in England. That move set him on course for an England career rather than a New Zealand one. He came up through Durham's system, and the club's wave of injuries during the 2010 season meant a teenage Stokes was thrown into senior cricket across all formats almost immediately. That early workload became something of a pattern for how his career would unfold.

Stokes' rise through the ranks was rapid. He made his ODI and T20I debuts for England in 2011 and his Test debut in 2013. That same year, he won the County Championship with Durham. A brief stint with the Melbourne Renegades in Australia's Big Bash League followed in 2015, part of an early pattern of picking up franchise deals around the world. By February 2017, he had been named vice-captain of the Test side, deputising under Joe Root.

2019 turned out to be the year that made him a household name. He top-scored for England in the World Cup final against New Zealand at Lord's. He then batted through a tied Super Over to win the title, a finish regarded as one of the most dramatic in the sport's history. Weeks later, at Headingley, with the Ashes hanging by a thread, Stokes played one of the great rearguard innings in Test history. It was an unbeaten century built with the last man, Jack Leach, that kept the series alive. The honours that followed included Wisden's top cricketer in the world for 2019, the ICC's Best Men's Cricketer award, and BBC Sports Personality of the Year. He added a second global title in 2022, top-scoring for England in that year's T20 World Cup final.

An unusual leadership moment arrived in 2021. A COVID outbreak within England's limited-overs squad forced much of the senior group to self-isolate ahead of a home series against Pakistan. Captain Eoin Morgan was among those affected. That left Stokes as the most senior player available, and he led England to a nine-wicket win in the first match. Later that July, he announced an indefinite break from the game, citing a finger injury and his mental health. He returned that October for the Ashes tour of Australia.

The captaincy itself arrived in April 2022, after Joe Root's resignation. Stokes was named England's Test captain and began working with new head coach Brendon McCullum. Together, they oversaw a deliberate shift toward fast, aggressive red-ball cricket. The approach became known as Bazball, built around quick scoring and bold declarations. It drew as much scrutiny as praise over the years that followed, particularly after a difficult Ashes defeat in Australia.

Injury increasingly shaped his later career. A torn hamstring in December 2024 required surgery and cost him months of cricket, including the Champions Trophy. He returned in 2025 to play four Tests against India, taking 17 wickets. A shoulder injury at Old Trafford then ended that series early for him. A broken cheekbone, suffered during a coaching session at Durham in early 2026, delayed his comeback further. He made it back in time for the Test series against New Zealand that summer.

That series also brought a brief off-field controversy. An ECB investigation into a curfew breach involved Stokes and Gus Atkinson and ended in written warnings and a one-match ban. The board cleared Stokes of direct involvement in the incident itself. Then, on the fourth day of the deciding Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, Stokes announced mid-match that it would be his last appearance for England. It brought a 15-year international career and four years as Test captain to a close. He called it the right decision after years of carrying multiple responsibilities for the side, and stepped away as one of the finest all-rounders England has produced.