Ben Stokes, the hero of England’s 2019 World Cup final victory, has announced that the one-day international against South Africa on Tuesday in Durham will be his last.
Stokes has decided that representing his country in all three formats is “simply unsustainable to me” and the 31-year-old versatile will focus on Twenty20s along with his responsibilities as captain of the event.
Tuesday’s game at home will be Stokes’ 105th in the format, in which he has scored 2,919 runs with an average of 39.44 and has taken 74 ports, placing him 19th in the list of all England time for scored runs and tickets.
“This has been an incredibly difficult decision to make,” Stokes said. “I loved every minute of playing with my teammates in England. No matter how hard it was to come to that decision, it’s not as hard as facing the fact that I can no longer give my teammates 100% of myself in this format.The England t-shirt deserves nothing less than who wears it.
“Three formats are unsustainable for me now. Not only do I feel like my body is disappointing me with the schedule and what is expected of us, but I also feel like I’m taking the place of another player who can give it your all to the team. “
Although Stokes has three centuries of hatred in his name, he will be remembered for unbeaten 84 against New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup final at Lord’s which led England to a position from which he could win the competition for the first time.
Rob Key, men’s cricket director general of the Cricket Board of England and Wales, said: “Ben has had an incredible international career in ODI cricket, culminating in his winning performance in the final of the “I know it must have been a difficult decision, but I fully understand why it has come to this conclusion. It is a typically disinterested decision that will benefit England in the long run.”
Stokes has not played for a T20 international for 16 months, having lost the World Cup last autumn while taking a break from the game to prioritize his mental health. His decision means that if fitness allows, he will be available for this year’s tournament in Australia, an event with which he can feel he has outstanding issues after last playing in the 2016 final, when Carlos Brathwaite went hit four sixes from his bowling alley to win the West Indies match in the final. But it will also weaken England’s top 50 as they prepare to defend their ODI title in India in 2023.
“I will give everything I have to try cricket, and now, with that decision, I think I can also give my full commitment to the T20 format,” Stokes said. “We’ve made great strides in white ball cricket over the last seven years, and the future looks bright. I’ve loved the 104 games I’ve played and I find it amazing to play my last game at my Durham field.”
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Several players from different formats, including Stokes, have complained about England’s schedule in recent seasons. This summer, England’s senior teams will play 44 of the 103 days between the start of their first test in June and the end of their last in September, with significant additional commitments for training and travel. “It’s ridiculous how much cricket people are expected to play,” Stokes said earlier this summer.
“You really have to look at it from the point of view of the workload. It’s a lot. I don’t want to miss England’s matches. I want to play as much as I can for England and in an ideal world you would have a schedule that allows you to play everything, but unfortunately it is not possible. The schedules must be looked at “.