Last Updated on 3 hours ago by Charbel Coorey
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has contacted the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) regarding the Ben Stokes retirement video.
The video was published on England Cricket’s official social media channels during the fourth day of the third Test against New Zealand, which has been viewed over 3.5 million times on X (formerly Twitter).
News filtered through Trent Bridge, leading to a standing ovation and sudden shift in focus with the series on the line. Ben Stokes took a wicket with his next delivery, sparking scenes of jubilation among players and spectators.
However, the ECB may have broken a rule, with the ICC alleging the footage is in contradiction to its standards for players’ and match officials’ areas (PMOA) at international matches.
ICC contacts England Cricket regarding Ben Stokes retirement video
On Saturday July 4, the ICC sent a letter to the ECB notifying them of the alleged breach.
According to Article 2.2.11 of the PMOA minimum standards, national boards must “ensure that there are no fixed or temporary video cameras or other recording equipment set up within any dressing room used by the teams for the purposes of broadcasting video or audio footage.”
BBC reports the ICC had also informed the ECB that any footage shot in the PMOA must not have audio or be released before the conclusion of a match.
Following the third Test – which England went on to lose by 160 runs – fans and former players including Andrew Strauss were critical of how Stokes’s retirement was announced.
“Everyone has the right to bow out on their own terms, and no one has earned that more than Ben, but announcing before or after the game seems like a more sensible approach. When you are in the middle of a match, the only thing that matters is the performance of the team,” Strauss wrote in late June.
Coach Brendon McCullum said Stokes was deserving of such an announcement.
“I was quite strong on my opinions that we should get it out there when we could, because I think he’s been a cricketer that’s been able to transcend the sport into other aspects of society. I felt the people that have supported Ben in the last 13 years he’s been involved… they deserve the opportunity to say goodbye,” McCullum said after the third Test.
