Tuesday’s home match will be his 105th in the format, in which he has so far scored 2,919 runs at an average of 39.44 and taken 74 wickets – with one game to play he is 19th on England’s all-time list and for the two runs he scored and stands. “It was an incredibly difficult decision to make,” Stokes said. “I loved every minute of playing with my England team-mates. As hard as it was to come to this 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 shirt deserves nothing less than whoever wears it. “Three formats are just unsustainable for me now. Not only do I feel like my body is letting me down because of the schedule and what’s expected of us, but I also feel like I’m taking the place of another player who can give Jos [Buttler] and the rest of the team all of them.” Although Stokes has three ODI centuries to his name, he will be remembered for the unbeaten 84 he scored against New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup final at Lord’s, almost single-handedly putting England in a position from which they could win the competition. for the first time. He has struggled to impose himself in any of the three ODIs he has played this summer, scoring just 48 runs in three innings against India, a run that ended in defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday. Rob Key, Managing Director of Men’s Cricket at England and Wales Cricket, said: “Ben has had an incredible international career in ODI cricket, culminating in his match-winning performance in the final of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019. I know this must It was a difficult decision, but I completely understand why he came to that conclusion. It’s a typically selfless decision that will benefit England in the long run.” Stokes has not played a T20 international for 16 months, having missed last autumn’s World Cup while taking a break from the game to prioritize his mental health and, having been omitted from the squad to play three games against South Africa this month. , will then get a chance to do so on September’s tour of Pakistan. The Spin: sign up and receive our weekly cricket email. His decision means that, fitness permitting, he will be available for this year’s T20 World Cup in Australia, an event where he may feel he has unfinished business after last playing in the 2016 final when Carlos Brathwaite hit four consecutive sixes off his bowling. to win the match for the West Indies in the final over. But it will also weaken England’s 50-over squad as they prepare to defend their ODI title in India in 2023. “I will give everything I have to test cricket and now with this decision I feel I can also give my full commitment to the T20 format,” Stokes said. “We have made great strides in white ball cricket over the last seven years and the future looks bright. I’ve enjoyed all 104 games I’ve played so far, I’ve got one more and it’s amazing to play my last game at home in Durham.”
