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England all-rounder Ben Stokes shocked the cricketing fraternity on Monday (July 18) by announcing that he will be retiring from ODI cricket. The 31-year-old will walk out for England in ODI cricket for one last time when they face South Africa in the first ODI on Tuesday, July 19, in Durham.
Stokes took an indefinite break from cricket last year citing mental health reasons. It could have probably been a sign that it was getting difficult for him to contribute as an all-rounder for England across all three formats.
Moreover, the scheduling of international games has arguably demanded way too much from cricketers who play all three formats. This is something Ben Stokes spoke about in his post on social media announcing his retirement. He said:
"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. Three formats are just unsustainable for me now."
Stokes concluded his post by stating:
"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. Thanks."
Twitter slams packed schedules after Ben Stokes announces ODI retirement
Fans on Twitter were shocked as they felt Ben Stokes still had a lot to offer in ODI cricket. They felt it was a sign for the ICC to address the massive mental and physical toll that a crowded international schedule is taking on cricketers.
Some fans hailed Stokes for being honest and stepping aside as he felt he wouldn't be able to give his best in this format. But they also think that without both Stokes and Eoin Morgan, it will be incredibly difficult for England to defend their ICC World Cup crown in 2023.
Managing editor of Wisden.com Ben Gardner wrote:
"'I feel that my body is letting me down because of the schedule and what is expected of us.' Cricket is broken."
Here are some more reactions to the news:
Ben Stokes' unbeaten 84 in the 2019 World Cup final against New Zealand will remain one of the best knocks ever played in the format under pressure. He will continue to lead the Test team and will likely be an integral part of England's T20 World Cup ambitions.
Overall, Stokes played 104 ODIs for England. He scored 2,919 runs at an average of 39.44 with 21 half-centuries and three hundreds. The all-rounder also picked up 74 wickets with an economy rate of 6.02, recording one five-wicket haul.
