"Would love to affect a few people's career": Ben Stokes opens up on his post-retirement plans

England’s red-ball captain, Ben Stokes, who is currently recovering from a leg injury, recently opened up about his post-retirement plans. The 33-year-old all-rounder expressed his desire to continue his connection with cricket even after retiring as a player from the sport. Stokes, who is currently playing in the whites under the coaching of former New Zealand great Brendon McCullum, talked about potentially taking on a coaching role when the time comes. Currently a part of England’s dressing room for the series against Sri Lanka, Stokes is aiming for a return to England’s Test squad for the upcoming series against Pakistan in October.

Discussing his plans for after retiring from cricket, Stokes expressed that he wants to ‘affect’ a few careers in his future. Currently among the best all-rounders in the game, the English Test captain believes that his love for cricket will lead him to pursue a coaching role if the opportunity arises.

“I do see myself probably wanting to go down the route of being a coach. I think that’s just with my love for the game. When I’m done playing, I’d love to be able to try and affect a few people’s careers,” he said.

Ben Stokes discussing his future in coaching with Brendon McCullum

Ben Stokes took over the red-ball captaincy of England in 2022, replacing Joe Root, as Brendon McCullum joined the side as head coach. The duo has since kicked off the “Bazball” era of England in Tests. Having worked closely with McCullum over the past couple of years, Stokes mentioned that he’s been discussing his future plans of becoming a coach with McCullum.

“I’ve spoken to Baz a lot—obviously he went into coaching quite quickly after finishing playing, and he absolutely loves it. He loves the fact that he can try and influence people to not only be successful but also to keep reminding them that this is the best time of your life, playing professional cricket, so go there and enjoy it,” he said.

The 33-year-old all-rounder further reiterated that he is in sync with McCullum’s approach and intends to adopt a similar mindset in his own career. “That’s definitely my mantra towards the game. Now, being 33 and having played a lot, I need to make sure that I enjoy every single day, through the good and through the bad,” he added.