Ben Stokes retired from international cricket this year [Source: AFP]Ben Stokes, the former England captain, may have retired from international cricket, but deep down, many England fans still want the left-handed batter to reverse his decision and play the Ashes next summer at home.After his retirement, the England side, under the newly appointed captain, Joe Root, thrashed Pakistan, 3-0 in the Test series, but despite the positive results, many still want the former captain to reverse his decision.Fleming shuts the door on Stokes' England returnThe former CSK head coach, Stephen Fleming, became Brendon McCullum’s Test successor, and the red-ball head coach gave his final verdict on Ben Stokes’ Test return. Fleming stated that Stokes is happy with his retirement call, and he’s really at peace with his decision-making."He has been in a great space, really happy, enjoying his time with Durham."He's got a good winter planned with the family and is very much at peace with his decision. When a player makes that decision to retire, I respect that decision 100%."To try to turn that around and question that is wrong. I know how much goes into that type of decision, and I respect that," Fleming said during a media interaction.Why speculations arose on Stokes' potential Test comeback?Even after retirement, the Durham player continued to represent his County team in the 2026 Championship. Moreover, not only did he participate, but the all-rounder also delivered the goods for his team.Also Read: Ben Stokes Goes On Epic Rant Dragging Pietersen After Harry Brook's TonIn his last County Championship match against Worcestershire, Stokes scored a valiant fifty and also took 6 wickets in the first innings, as he gave a stellar performance for his team. In the match against Derbyshire, he scored fifties in both innings and consistently took crucial wickets with the ball.The English star retired from ODIs in 2022, but ahead of the 2023 World Cup in India, he reversed his retirement call. As a result, fans have started to speculate that the all-rounder can once again take a U-turn and return back to the national team (keeping in mind he has been in form in the domestic competition).Why Ben Stokes announced his sudden international retirement?After the New Zealand series at home, the 35-year-old shockingly announced his decision to step down from the captaincy role and retire from international cricket.While many speculated that Stokes would only step down from the captaincy role, no one expected the former skipper to move away from the game permanently.However, his poor batting form, combined with England’s below-average results in The Ashes and in the New Zealand series, prompted him to take the retirement call. Under his leadership, England failed against India at home in 2025, and it was followed by an embarrassing series defeat against Australia, away from home.The New Zealand Test series at home was the final nail in the coffin as England lost 1-2, despite having a series lead. The team languished in the bottom half of the points table, but since his retirement, the situation has improved.Also Read: Shafali Verma Knocks Out Bangladesh As India March Into Women's Asian Games Final
