Ben Stokes Aspires to Coach England Cricket Team Post Retirement

Ben Stokes, the former captain of the England cricket team, has revealed his ambition to become the head coach after retiring from playing. He expressed a strong desire to remain involved in cricket in a leadership role, although he is uncertain if that opportunity will materialize. Stokes stepped down from captaincy and retired following a series of defeats, including a Test series loss to New Zealand. He also reflected on the impact of his retirement on Brendon McCullum's coaching position. Stokes' leadership from 2022 to 2026 transformed England's approach to Test cricket, and he hopes to continue contributing to the sport in the future.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 4, 2026, 23:51 IST

Stokes' Coaching Aspirations

Former England cricket captain Ben Stokes has expressed his desire to take on the role of head coach for the England team after his retirement from playing. He aims to stay connected to the sport in a leadership capacity.

Stokes shared that coaching the national team would be a dream come true, although he is uncertain if such an opportunity will arise.

After stepping down as Test captain, Stokes announced his retirement from international cricket following England's 2-1 Test series loss to New Zealand in June, which followed a disappointing 4-1 defeat in the Ashes series against Australia.

During an appearance on the For The Love of Cricket podcast, Stokes stated, "I want to be a coach. I know what I want to do in terms of staying within the game – which is to be a coach." He added, "Would I love to be coach of England one day? Absolutely. I would love to be able to do that. Do I think it’s going to happen? I don’t know. No idea. I just really like the idea of being, again, in some form of leadership away from playing."

He also mentioned that Brendon McCullum might have continued as England's Test head coach had Stokes not announced his retirement shortly before.

Stokes remarked, "I was [surprised]. If I hadn’t made the decision that I made four weeks ago, Baz would still be coach. So it’s my fault!"

From 2022 to 2026, Stokes led the England Test team, forming a successful partnership with head coach Brendon McCullum, which significantly changed the team's approach to Test cricket.

McCullum's exit as head coach was confirmed just two weeks after Stokes' retirement, a decision he made public during the fourth day of England's third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.