Ben Stokes announces retirement from ODIs

England all-rounder Ben Stokes has announced his retirement from One Day Internationals (ODI) after his last in the format when England played South Africa at Chester-le-Street. England’s 2019 World Cup hero has scored 2919 runs, including three centuries, and taken 74 wickets in the format since his ODI debut in 2011. More IPL match updates and IPL predictions, odds and betting tips here!

“This has been an incredibly tough decision to make,” Stokes wrote in a social media post. “I have loved every minute of playing with my mates for England. Hard as this decision was to come to, it’s not as hard as dealing with the fact I can’t give my teammates 100% of myself in this format any more. The England shirt deserves nothing less from anyone who wears it.”

He added: “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 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.”

The 31-year-old also said that he will continue to play in the Test where he was recently appointed as captain to replace Joe Root. “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,” he said. Stokes has not played a T20 international for 16 months to focus on his mental health. He also did not register for the IPL auction this year.

“Ben has had an incredible international career in ODI cricket, culminating in his match-winning performance at the World Cup final,” said Rob Key, managing director of men’s cricket at the England and Wales Cricket Board. “I know this must have been a tough decision but I completely understand why he has reached this conclusion. It is a typically selfless decision that will benefit England long-term.”

Stokes joins Eoin Morgan, who quit the international game at the end of June, as the second member of England’s World Cup-winning team to retire from ODI cricket. . The senior England squads are due to play on 44 of the 103 days between the start of their first Test in June and the end of their last in September, an overwhelming amount of cricket that Stokes earlier claimed as “ridiculous”.

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