Will fans see Ben Stokes as England coach? He's certainly not hiding his ambition

Ben Stokes may have retired from international cricket, but the former England captain has made it clear that his journey with the national team is far from over.

The 35-year-old all-rounder, who brought the curtain down on his illustrious international career during England's Test series against New Zealand in June, has revealed that he hopes to coach England in the future and believes he has the experience to succeed in the role.

Stokes was the driving force behind England's ultra-aggressive 'Bazball' approach to Test cricket, introduced alongside head coach Brendon McCullum after he took over the Test captaincy in 2022. The philosophy transformed England's style of play, encouraging positive intent and attacking strokeplay instead of the traditionally cautious approach associated with the longest format.

While England enjoyed remarkable success during the early years of the Bazball era, the approach also came under scrutiny after the team lost 18 of its last 37 Tests.

Speaking on the For The Love Of Cricket podcast on Tuesday, Stokes said he has already begun preparing for a coaching career by completing his Level Three coaching qualification.

"I'm doing my level three coaching now while I'm still playing, because I want, when the day comes that I'm not playing any more, I'd love to be able to have all that stuff signed off and done," Stokes said.

"I want to be a coach. I know what I want to do in terms of staying within the game, which is to be a coach. And would I love to be coach of England one day? Absolutely," he said.

"I would do a pretty good job at it because now I have an understanding of responsibility on the shoulders. I don't actually mind making big decisions," he added.

However, Stokes ruled out a return from retirement to play for England in the Ashes, scheduled for the summer of 2027.

Stokes also described England batter Harry Brook as a "freakishly talented" cricketer and questioned why the youngster was overlooked for the captaincy when he missed a Test during the New Zealand series.

"If you think someone is going to be a good captain or a good leader, then just give them the opportunity," Stokes said. "Brook was made vice-captain. Even when I missed that Test match, I was like, 'Why is Brook vice-captain?'" he said.

"I understood the reasoning behind it, but I was still thinking, what message does that send to him? He's vice-captain, and the captain isn't playing, but he's still not captain. What does that say," he asked.

Following Stokes' retirement, Joe Root was reappointed as England's Test captain, while former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming took over as head coach.