Ben Stokes has announced that he will retire from ODI cricket immediately after England play South Africa at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.
Stokes was appointed as England’s Test captain earlier this year and said that playing three formats was “just unsustainable for me now” and that he felt as though he was blocking opportunities for other players.
He had been due to play all six of England’s ODIs this summer and rest throughout their T20I commitments against India and South Africa, as well as the Hundred, but has now opted to quit the 50-over game in order to give “everything I have to Test cricket” and “my total commitment to the T20 format”.
Tuesday’s ODI at his home ground, the Riverside, will be Stokes’ 105th game for England in the format, having made his debut against Ireland in 2011. He heads into his final appearance with a batting average of 39.44 at a strike rate of 95.26, and has taken 74 wickets. His defining performance in the format was his innings of 84 not out to force the 2019 World Cup final to a Super Over, in which he then added eight runs off three balls to help England lift the trophy for the first time.
Stokes said playing three formats was “unsustainable” in a statement•Getty Images
“I can’t give my team-mates 100% 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.
“As hard as a decision as this was to come to, it’s not as hard dealing with the fact I can’t give my teammates 100% of myself in this format anymore. The England shirt deserves nothing less from anyone who wears it.”
