Ben Stokes responds to England retirement U-turn speculation

• Ben Stokes has ruled out the possibility of performing a retirement U-turn and returning to play for England in the future.
• Stokes announced his retirement from international cricket in June, but England’s managing director Rob Key admitted last week that he would not be surprised if the all-rounder came back to play in next year’s Ashes.
• However, speaking for the For the Love of Cricket podcast, Stokes was asked whether he was certain that he would not come back to play for England and replied: “Definitely”.
• Stokes has performed a retirement U-turn before, as he stepped away from one-day cricket in 2022 before returning to play in the World Cup the following year.
• Yet he remains adamant that his time as an international cricketer is up, as Joe Root prepares to lead the Test team for England’s series against Pakistan later this month.