ICC alleges ECB breached rules with Ben Stokes retirement video

The ICC alleged that the governing body may have breached regulations covering access to players' areas.

The issue centres on footage of Stokes addressing his England team-mates in the dressing room before play on the fourth day of the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.

The video, complete with audio, was released to broadcasters and shared on social media at 15:25 BST, shortly before the tea interval while the match was still in progress.

In a letter sent on Saturday, a day before the 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup final at Lord's, the ICC claimed the ECB had violated its Players' and Match Officials' Areas (PMOA) minimum standards by recording and publishing the address before the Test had finished.

Article 2.2.11 of the PMOA minimum standards states national cricket federations should: "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."

The governing body had previously advised the ECB that any material captured in those areas could not include audio or be made public until after the conclusion of play. The regulations were introduced to reinforce the ICC's anti-corruption code.

Stokes, 35, later reacted to the reports on X by reposting a link with the caption: "Sack him."

The all-rounder had revealed after day four that the timing of the announcement had been agreed between his representatives and the ECB. He was bowling when the news emerged and dismissed Zak Foulkes with his very next delivery.

Neither the ECB nor the ICC has publicly commented. The ECB has yet to reply to the ICC's letter, while Stokes' retirement leaves England searching for a new Test captain before August's three-match series against Pakistan. 

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