The 35-year-old all-rounder confirmed his exit shortly before tea on the fourth day of the ongoing third and decisive Test against New Zealand in Nottingham, having informed his teammates in the dressing room at Trent Bridge before the start of Sunday’s play.
Stokes was in the middle of a lengthy bowling spell, with news filtering into a stunned crowd as he was about to start his 11th over.
He then received a standing ovation from spectators at Trent Bridge.
And in a moment of pure sporting theatre, Stokes had Zak Foulkes caught at slip with his next ball to spark yet more raucous cheers.
Sunday’s bombshell announcement came after Stokes returned to England duty at Trent Bridge following the fallout from a London nightclub incident also involving teammate Gus Atkinson earlier this month.
The pair were omitted from a 253-run defeat in the second Test at the Oval – which levelled this three-match series at 1-1 – for breaking a midnight curfew while celebrating England’s win in the first Test.
Stokes was later handed a written conduct warning but escaped any further disciplinary action and returned to lead the side at Trent Bridge.(AFP)
Edited by Raymond Yeung
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