Ben Stokes announces retirement from ODI cricket

In what can be called an absolute shocker, veteran England all-rounder Ben Stokes has announced retirement from the ODI format. The upcoming first ODI against South Africa on Tuesday (July 19) will mark Stokes’ last appearance in the format. The 31-year-old, who made his ODI debut back in August 2011, stated that playing all three formats is ‘unsustainable’ for him.

Hence, to focus on the other two formats, he will call quits on ODI cricket after the Durham clash. Notably, Stokes was instrumental in guiding England to the 2019 World Cup triumph. He even bagged the Player-of-the-Match award in the all-important final clash. Coming to his overall numbers, Stokes has so far scored 2919 runs in 104 ODIs with his average being just under 40.

With the ball, he has taken 74 wickets in the format, which also includes a five-wicket haul. Not to forget, Stokes is now England’s Test captain and carries the responsibility to change the side’s fortunes in the traditional format.

“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 a post shared on Twitter.