England’s Test captain Ben Stokes has announced his retirement from One-Day Internationals following the first ODI in the three-match series against South Africa starting on Tuesday.
The all-rounder has played 104 ODI matches and is set to end his international career in the format on his home ground at the Seat Unique Riverside.
The 31-year-old’s most stellar performance came in the 2019 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup final at Lord’s, in which he scored an unbeaten 84 to help take the match into a Super Over as England claimed their maiden World Cup title.
After making his ODI debut against Ireland in 2011, Stokes has so far scored 2,919 runs, including three centuries, and taken 74 wickets.
"I will play my last game for England in ODI cricket on Tuesday in Durham. I have decided to retire from this format. 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,” 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 per cent 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. 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 Jos and the rest of 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,” he said while explaining his decision.
"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 added.
