Fans stunned as Ben Stokes announces ODI retirement

Ben Stokes, England’s star striker all-rounder, has announced his surprise retirement from one-day cricket, citing the “unsustainable” rigors of playing all three formats of the game.

Read ICC declares Shaheen Afridi the best all-format cricketer

Stokes’ 105th and last one-day international will be against South Africa on Tuesday at his home ground in Durham, the 31-year-old stated in a statement published by the England and Wales Cricket Board(ECB) on Monday.

“Three formats are absolutely unsustainable for me right now,” Stokes said, adding that he will continue to play Twenty20 Internationals.

Stokes, who took over as test captain in April, was named player-of-the-match as England defeated New Zealand in the final of the 2019 50-overs World Cup at Lord’s.

“Not only do I feel like my body is letting me down because of the schedule and what is expected of us, but I also feel like I am taking the position of another player who can give (captain) Jos (Buttler) and the rest of the team their all.”

Stokes, one of the most dynamic players of his generation, has been plagued by injuries in recent years and took a hiatus from the game last year to focus on his mental health.

“I will give all I have to test cricket, and now that I’ve made this choice, I believe I can also offer my complete devotion to the T20 format,” he stated.

Stokes made his One-Day International debut against Ireland in Dublin in 2011.

After former captain Eoin Morgan, Stokes is the second player from England’s World Cup-winning side to retire from one-day cricket.

England men’s cricket managing director Rob Key praised Stokes’ “incredible international career” in the 50-over format.

“I know this must have been a tough decision, but I completely understand why he has reached this conclusion,” Key said.

Stats

While numbers might not reflect the excellence of Ben Stokes as a player, here are some ODI career stats of the all-rounder.

Ben Stokes ODI stats

Originally hailing from New Zealand, the left-handed Ben Stokes has played 104 One-Day Internationals so far, scoring 2919 runs. He has three centuries with the highest score of 102*.

In addition to being one of the sharpest fielders, Stokes has 74 wickets to his name with 5/61 being his best bowling performance.