England’s Ben Stokes has announced he will retire from One-Day International cricket after Tuesday’s match against South Africa on his Durham home ground.
The all-rounder, 31, said playing three international formats – T20, 50-over ODIs and Tests – was now “unsustainable”.
Stokes, who captain’s the England Test team, will take the field at Chester-le-Street against South Africa in the first of three ODIs.
Stokes, who has scored 2,919 runs and taken 74 wickets in the format, said in a social media post it had been an “incredibly tough decision to make”.
England all-rounder Ben Stokes announces retirement from ODI cricket
“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 percent of myself in this format anymore,” he said. “The England shirt deserves nothing less from anyone who wears it.
“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 (captain) Jos (Buttler) and the rest of the team their all.”
Watch: When Ben Stokes lit up the 2019 ODI World Cup final to help England clinch the trophy
Rob Key, managing director of men’s cricket at the England and Wales Cricket Board, paid tribute to Stokes, saying: “Ben has had an incredible international career in ODI cricket, culminating in his match-winning performance at the 2019 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup final”.
Here are some reactions to Stokes’ announcement:
Virat Kohli’s message for Ben Stokes on Instagram:
Inputs from AFP
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!