Ben Stokes

England thrashed Pakistan inside three days at Headingley, but the story that followed had nothing to do with cricket. This article explains why captain Joe Root felt compelled to talk about trust rather than…

England have dropped their midnight curfew again, only months after bringing it back in January. This article follows how the rule kept changing shape through a turbulent year, and explains why - whatever the…

England's first Test squad since Ben Stokes' retirement and Brendon McCullum's sacking was meant to signal a fresh direction. Instead it leans heavily on recalled faces, and the question of who fills Stokes'…

Can England’s former captain return for the 2027 Ashes after retiring from international cricket, and what would such a return actually mean? This piece explains the gap between Rob Key leaving a door open and…

Ben Stokes has stepped away from Test cricket, but that doesn't mean he's stepping away from the game. This piece looks at what Durham's coach expects from Stokes's next chapter, and why a return to franchise…

Brendon McCullum has apologised for England's results after being sacked as Test coach on Sunday, a decision that closes out the Bazball era's four-year run in the red-ball game while leaving him in charge of…

Brendon McCullum is stepping down as England's Test head coach, staying on to run the white-ball sides that have thrived under him while handing back the job that made his name. This covers why the ECB has…

England's cricketers have been handed a new set of behaviour guidelines, and the headline is a familiar one for any touring side: watch the drinking. It arrives after a summer of off-field noise, most of it…

Sam Curran has put his hand up for the vacancy nobody knows how to fill. This looks at the Surrey all-rounder's pitch to replaceBen Stokesin England's Test side: the five years since his last cap, the groin…

Four years ago Bazball was born at Trent Bridge in a blaze of fearless chasing. This week, at the same ground and against the same opponent, it looked very much like it died there. This piece examines…

Ben Stokes has spent the better part of a decade dragging England across finish lines they had no business reaching. Now, at 35, he has decided he has given enough. This piece looks at his retirement from…

England's series against New Zealand reaches a decisive third Test at Trent Bridge under circumstances nobody could have scripted, with captain Ben Stokes walking back into the dressing room freshly cleared by…

The ECB rarely tips its hand on selection before a squad is named, so withdrawing two players from county cricket mid-match is about as loud as the board ever gets. This piece looks at why Ben Stokes and Gus…

Ollie Robinson's comeback from two years away was brief, brilliant, and now abruptly paused. With Robinson, Ben Stokes, and Gus Atkinson all absent from The Oval, England's selection puzzle is more complicated…

England's summer of cricket has lurched from the field into an off-field crisis less than 24 hours after a Test victory. This piece examines the investigation's implications for both the second Test squad and…

At Christmas, Ollie Robinson believed his England career was finished. Six months later he walked out at Lord's and took three wickets in his first over back in Test cricket. This piece examines how that…

This piece looks beyond England's 4-1 Ashes defeat to examine what Brendon McCullum's own admissions reveal about the structural and cultural cracks in the Test set-up. With a New Zealand series opening at…

Ben Stokes has spoken candidly about the nets accident that left him needing major facial surgery, admitting things could have been far worse. The England captain has also delivered his most honest assessment…

Ben Stokes has broken his silence on the reported tension between himself and England head coach Brendon McCullum, conceding their partnership needs to operate differently following a difficult winter. This…