'If I hadn't made the decision that I made four weeks ago, Baz would still be coach' — Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes has said he pulled the pin on his career and that decision cost Brendon McCullum his job. He spoke on the For The Love of Cricket podcast with Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler, and the message was blunt: he had already told his wife months earlier that the body wasn't going to last another two years.

The original plan was to keep going until the 2027 Ashes. Recurring injuries made that timetable a fantasy, and Stokes made it clear he never once considered giving up the captaincy but staying on as a player. Joe Root is now back in charge of the Test side and Stephen Fleming has taken over from McCullum.

Stokes is already lining up the next chapter. He's studying for his Level 3 coaching badges between domestic matches and has said he'd like to coach England one day.