Former England captain Ben Stokes has revealed he wants to coach England after retirement while ruling out any possibility of returning to play in the 2027 Ashes. Speaking on the For the Love of Cricket podcast, the 35-year-old said he is already working towards his Level Three coaching qualification so he is prepared for a career in coaching once his playing days are over.
Stokes, who retired from international cricket during England’s Test series against New Zealand in June, said coaching the national team is his long-term goal.
“I’m doing my level three coaching now while I’m still playing, because I want, when the day comes that I’m not playing any more, I’d love to be able to have all that stuff signed off and done,” Stokes said.
“I know what I want to do in terms of staying within the game, which is to be a coach. And would I love to be the coach of England one day? Absolutely. I just really like the idea of being in some form of leadership away from playing.”
Stokes also ended speculation over a possible return to international cricket. Responding to former England teammate Jos Buttler’s question on whether he was definitely retired, Stokes replied with a simple “Definitely”, dismissing suggestions that he could come back for the 2027 Ashes despite England managing director Rob Key recently saying the door would remain open.
The former England captain also reiterated that he believed Harry Brook should have succeeded him as Test captain. Instead, the selectors opted to hand the job back to Joe Root, deciding it was too soon for Brook to take over permanently after the vice-captain was involved in an off-field disciplinary incident during England’s tour of New Zealand.
Stokes said he had backed Brook from the start and questioned the decision to overlook him, particularly when Brook was not asked to lead in the second Test against New Zealand after Stokes missed the match.
“I think just if you think someone’s going to be a good captain or a good leader, then just give them it,” Stokes said.
“I understood the reasoning, but I was still like, well, what message is that sending to him? He’s vice-captain. And then the captain is not playing, but he’s not captain.”
While disappointed with the decision, Stokes said he hoped Root would enjoy success in his second stint as captain under new head coach Stephen Fleming. However, he admitted he was concerned about the impact the role could have on Root, having seen the demands of captaincy affect him during his previous tenure.
“I love Rooty and I wish him nothing but success. I hope he achieves amazing things in his role as captain,” Stokes said.
“I told Joe my only worry is just you. I’ve seen what he went through last time. He always puts the team first and himself second. I don’t want to see that happen again because I care about Joe a lot, but I wish him all the success in the world.”
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