“Three formats are just unsustainable for me now”- Ben Stokes announces sudden retirement from ODI cricket; leaves fans astonished
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Ben Stokes
England’s all-rounder Ben Stokes shocked the cricket fraternity over his decision of taking retirement from One Day International (ODI) cricket on Monday. He will be playing his last ODI for England against South Africa on Tuesday in Durham.
The 31-year-old will be remembered for his Player-of-the-Match performance in 2019’s ODI World Cup against New Zealand at Lord’s, helping England win their maiden title. He is recently made the captain of England’s Test side. In ODIs, he has scored 2919 runs in 104 ODIs along with taking 74 wickets. He debuted against Ireland in 2011.
“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,” Stokes wrote in the post.
“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,” read his statement.
“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,” said Stokes in an official statement.
“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. I would like to wish Jos Buttler, Matthew Mott, the players and the support staff every success going forward. We have made great strides in white-ball cricket over the past seven years, and the future looks bright,” he added.
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Check how Twitter reacted to Ben Stokes’ decision of retirement
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Gouri Das
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