London: Former England star and Test captain Ben Stokes has taken a cheeky swipe at the International Cricket Council (ICC) after the England and Wales Cricket Board questioned the dressing room video announcing his retirement.
Stokes retired from Test cricket following England’s final Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. He informed his teammates of his decision during an emotional speech in the dressing room before the start of the fourth day.
The ECB later shared footage of the moment on social media while the match was underway.
The ICC has contacted the ECB seeking an explanation, alleging that the board may have breached its minimum standards of players and match officials (PMOA) by recording and releasing footage from inside the dressing room during an international match.
Reacting to the reports, Stokes posted a brief but sarcastic message on social media: “Sack him.”
English media reported on Wednesday that the ICC had written to the ECB after footage of Stokes informing his teammates of his retirement on the fourth day of the third and final Test against New Zealand was made public.
Under Section 2.2.11 of the PMOA minimum standard, national cricket boards must ensure that “no fixed or temporary video cameras or other recording devices are installed in any dressing room used by teams for the purpose of broadcasting video or audio footage”.
The ICC reportedly sent its letter to the ECB on Saturday saying it was illegal to record and release both video and audio from Stokes’ dressing room address.
Speaking to broadcasters at the end of the final day of the deciding Test, Stokes explained that making the announcement during the match was part of a coordinated plan between his management team and the ECB.
“I said, ‘You work with my co-workers Michael Lump and Neil Fairbrother and you come up with a plan,'” Stokes said.
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