Stokes gives short response to England ‘corruption’ claims | Cricket | Sport

Ben Stokes has issued a two-word response after it emerged that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had contacted the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) regarding the video which announced the all-rounder’s retirement from international cricket.

The 35-year-old confirmed he would be stepping away from England duty midway through the Third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge last month.

The ECB shared a video on social media at approximately 3.25pm on day four of the Test in Nottingham, at which point Stokes was in the midst of a bowling spell for England.

Stokes proceeded to take a wicket with his very next delivery following the announcement, before playing his final day of international cricket the following day as England fell to a 160-run defeat at Trent Bridge, suffering a 2-1 series loss.

The ECB’s video was filmed inside the England dressing room prior to the start of play, and it emerged on Wednesday that the ICC had contacted the Board over an alleged breach of anti-corruption regulations.

The BBC has reported that the ICC informed the ECB that footage taken from within the England dressing room constitutes a breach of rules relating to the standards of players and match officials’ areas (PMOA).

Responding to the news surrounding the alleged rule breach, Stokes posted a two-word message on X, which simply read: “Sack him.”

The alleged rule breach relates to Article 2.2. 11 of the standards set by the PMOA, which states that all federations should: “Ensure that there are no fixed or temporary video cameras or other recording equipment set up within any dressing room used by the teams for the purposes of broadcasting video or audio footage.”

According to the report, the ICC sent a letter to the ECB regarding the alleged rule breach, stipulating that the violation concerns the release of footage filmed inside the dressing room prior to the Test coming to an end.

Following the conclusion of the third Test between England and New Zealand, Stokes outlined the reasoning behind his choice to step away from international cricket.

“I’ve been through some rocky times, personally, having to feel like I’m pushing myself through and feel like I’m having to do something because it’s the right thing to do,” Stokes told Sky Sports.

“To be honest, it might sound quite selfish, but this decision is generally the best thing for me right now. Whether that means it’s the best thing for the team going forward, I hope so.

“It comes down to what I think is going to allow me to still love this game that I’ve played since I was a kid and has given me a career. I’m very excited about the next part of what I get to do – going back and playing for my boyhood club Durham.

“There’s been moments this week where it’s been really tough and again that just adds to everything. It really makes it very clear in your mind that you’re probably making the right decision.”