The cricket world was shocked when Ben Stokes announced his retirement during England’s Test series against New Zealand. Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had transformed England’s approach since Stokes became captain in 2022, focusing on aggressive play. Two weeks after Stokes’ announcement, McCullum was removed from his role, with Stephen Fleming replacing him as the new coach. Joe Root is now the Test captain again. Stokes is currently pursuing level three coaching qualifications while still playing, aiming to become a national team coach in the future.