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Cricket PlayersBen Stokes has just two words after ICC accuses ECB of breaching anti-corruption rules over retirement footage
Ben Stokes announced his surprise retirement from international cricket during the third Test against New Zealand on June 28
Ben Stokes' emotional retirement announcement during the Trent Bridge Test late last month has taken an unexpected turn off the field. Days after the England Test captain revealed to his teammates that he would step down at the end of the match, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has come under ICC scrutiny over how it shared the behind-the-scenes footage. Stokes, meanwhile, reacted to the development with a pointed two-word response.
Stokes announced his surprise retirement from international cricket during the third Test against New Zealand on June 28 while he was in the middle of a spell. The ECB made the announcement public 15 minutes before tea on Day 4 of the match, which England eventually lost along with the series. Alongside the news, the board also shared a dressing-room video showing Stokes informing his teammates of his decision before the start of play that morning.
According to a BBC report, that video has now landed the ECB in trouble with the ICC. The governing body has reportedly written to the English board, alleging that releasing the footage while the match was still in progress may have breached protocols governing the Players' and Match Officials' Areas (PMOA), which form part of cricket's anti-corruption framework.
Article 2.2.11 of the PMOA minimum standards states that governing bodies must "ensure that there are no fixed or temporary video cameras or other recording equipment set up within any dressing room used by the teams for the purposes of broadcasting video or audio footage."
The PMOA regulations exist to support the sport's anti-corruption code. According to the BBC, the ICC had also previously informed the ECB that any footage recorded inside the PMOA must neither include audio nor be released before the conclusion of a match.
As the controversy gathered pace, Stokes took to X to respond to the ICC's objection. In his trademark deadpan style, the England great summed up his reaction in just two words: "Sack him."
Stokes has been one of England's defining cricketers over the past 15 years, playing a central role in their ODI and T20 World Cup triumphs while captaining the Test side since 2022 during the Bazball era that transformed the team's approach to the longest format.
He has also made headlines away from the field, speaking openly about his mental health struggles and, in 2018, being found not guilty of affray following a late-night incident in Bristol after an international against the West Indies.
"I've been through some rocky times, personally, having to feel like I'm pushing myself through and feel like I'm having to do something because it's the right thing to do," Stokes had told Sky Sports after the Trent Bridge Test.
"To be honest, it might sound quite selfish, but this decision is genuinely the best thing for me right now. Whether that means it's the best thing for the team going forward, I hope so."
Stokes, however, intends to continue playing county cricket with Durham.
"It comes down to what I think is going to allow me to still love this game that I've played since I was a kid and has given me a career. I'm very excited about the next part of what I get to do — going back and playing for my boyhood club, Durham."
