ben stokes Great England has responded to criticism ian botham With a cheeky social media post after announcing his retirement from international cricket.Stokes, who retired from international cricket during the Trent Bridge Test against New Zealand last month, was the subject of Botham’s light-hearted remarks on the Test Match Special podcast. Reflecting on Stokes’ retirement, Botham joked that the England captain has now joined an exclusive club. “as we know michael vaughn And me. We don’t know what we’re talking about. Pair of old couple. Botham said, “Ben, if you’re hearing congratulations you’ve joined the club. You’ve joined the club now.” Stokes immediately responded to the attack, referencing a famous quote often attributed to Botham himself. “The quote ‘What has happened is better than what never happened’ originates from Lord Ian Botham,” Stokes posted.

ben stokes post

The exchange came shortly after Botham publicly criticized Stokes following an incident in which England captain and fast bowler Gus Atkinson violated the team’s midnight curfew while celebrating England’s victory in the first Test against New Zealand. Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Botham questioned Stokes’ decision and said he was disappointed by the episode, especially considering the support he had previously shown the all-rounder during difficult moments in his career. Botham said, “Some people just don’t learn, do they? It’s that simple. We as a club, when they had problems at Bristol, we stood with Ben Stokes, and I stood with him as chairman, but I don’t really understand how you can justify what happened after the game.” Stokes retired as one of England’s greatest all-rounders, ending a 15-year international career that included over 250 matches across formats and many memorable performances for his country.