Ben Stokes Retires: The Weight of a Nation on One Man's Shoulders

Ben Stokes has retired from international cricket with immediate effect, announcing his decision during the fourth day of the final Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. The England captain told his teammates on Sunday morning that he could no longer carry the emotional and physical burden of leading the side, bringing an end to one of the most storied careers in English cricket history.

The news arrived in the most dramatic fashion. Stokes was midway through an 11-over bowling spell, hurling himself into the fray as he tried to drag England back into a series tied at 1-1, when the ECB released the statement. What followed was something you do not see often in sport. The Nottingham crowd rose as one, a standing ovation greeting the start of his next over. Stokes responded the only way he knows how, taking the wicket of New Zealand's Zak Foulkes with the very next ball.

What led to Ben Stokes' retirement?

The decision had been brewing for months. Stokes had been wrestling with his future since the opening Test of the summer at Lord's, a match that brought back what he called