England captain Ben Stokes delivered an emotional farewell speech to his teammates after announcing his retirement from international cricket, urging them to give everything for the team during the final two days of the decisive Test against New Zealand.
In a video released by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the 35-year-old all-rounder addressed the dressing room, telling his teammates that the ongoing Test would mark his final days as England captain and international cricketer.
"These are my last two days representing England and leading this team," Stokes said. "There will be time later to talk about the reasons behind my retirement, but right now my entire focus is on the team and this match."
Stokes said he had always given everything for England throughout his career and intended to do the same one last time.
He urged his teammates to put emotions aside until the match was over and concentrate solely on producing their best performance on the field.
"I want to leave the ground knowing that every player gave everything until the very last moment," he told the squad.
The veteran all-rounder added that emotional farewells and retirement tributes could wait until after the match, stressing that the team's success remained the only priority.