'Sack him': Ben Stokes on ICC's probe over retirement announcement
What's the story
Former England captain Ben Stokes has reacted after the International Cricket Council (ICC) questioned the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) over a potential protocol breach linked to his retirement announcement. According to a BBC report, the governing body reportedly contacted the ECB after behind-the-scenes footage of Stokes's retirement was released during the third Test against New Zealand. Stokes has now broken his silence on the matter with a brief social media response.
Response
How Stokes has responded
The ICC's letter regarding this matter was delivered on the eve of the Women's T20 World Cup final at Lord's, where ECB chair Richard Thompson met ICC chairman Jay Shah. The governing body is concerned that the footage of Stokes's retirement announcement, which included both video and audio, was released during play. This allegedly violates Article 2.2.11 of the Players' and Match Officials' Areas (PMOA) minimum standards at international matches. In response to the ICC questioning, the former all-rounder took to social media and wrote: "Sack him."
Twitter Post
Official response of Stokes
Sack him … https://t.co/LYQ5ZlYqDE
— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) July 9, 2026
Footage restrictions
Broadcasting inside the dressing room
The PMOA regulations, which were introduced by the ICC to bolster anti-corruption measures in cricket, prohibit national cricket boards from setting up fixed or temporary video cameras or other recording equipment within any dressing room for broadcasting purposes. The ICC had previously communicated to its members that any footage captured inside the PMOA should not include audio or be released before the end of a match.
Announcement details
Stokes announced retirement during Test
At the end of Day 4, Stokes clarified why the public announcement was made during play. He said it was a plan between his agents and the ECB. Stokes was in the middle of a bowling spell when news of his retirement broke. His first delivery after the announcement resulted in New Zealand batter Zak Foulkes's wicket. While England lost the next day, it marked the end of Stokes's international career.