Ben Stokes has announced his retirement from ODI cricket with immediate effect with England’s match against South Africa at his homeground of Chester-le Street on Tuesday to be his swansong. Stokes, England’s Test captain, said that playing three formats was “just unsustainable for me now” and felt he was blocking opportunities for others. Tuesday’s ODI at his home ground, the Riverside, will be Stokes’ 105th game for England in this format.
His defining performance was the 84 not out which took the 2019 World Cup final at Lord’s to a Super Over, with England prevailing to lift the trophy after a controversial boundary countback method was used to determine the winners with the Super Over also ending tied. Stokes is the second member of England’s World Cup-winning team after Eoin Morgan to retire from ODI cricket in the last month.
“I can’t give my teammates 100 per cent of myself in this format anymore,” Stokes said in a statement. “This has been an incredibly tough decision to make. I have loved every minute of playing with my mates for England. We have had an incredible journey on the way. “Three formats are just unsustainable for me now. Not only do I feel that my body is letting me down because of the schedule and what is expected of us, but I also feel that I am taking the place of another player who can give Jos (Buttler) and the rest of the team their all. It’s time for someone else to progress as a cricketer and make incredible memories like I have over the past 11 years.
“I will give everything I have to Test cricket, and now, with this decision, I feel I can also give my total commitment to the T20 format. I would like to wish Jos Buttler, Matthew Mott, the players and the support staff every success going forward. We have made great strides in white-ball cricket over the past seven years, and the future looks bright. “I have loved all 104 games I have played so far, I’ve got one more, and it feels amazing to be playing my last game at my home ground in Durham. As always, the England fans have always been there for me and will continue to be there. You’re the best fans in the world. I hope we can win on Tuesday and set the series up nicely against South Africa.”
Stokes scored 48 runs in three innings against India, batting at No. 4, and bowled only three overs across the three-match series. Stokes’ decision will raise questions about the workload an international cricketer must go through if he plays all three formats.
The decision will probably reignite the debate on the significance of hosting bilateral limited overs series. It is unlikely that the game’s administrators will dwell on this “workload” aspect when the ICC’s annual conference takes place in Birmingham next week, since the format is essential for the boards to fill their coffers. Former England captain Nasser Hussain termed the decision “disappointing”. “It is a reflection of where the cricketing schedule is at the moment, it is madness for players,” Hussain said.
