Ben Stokes Announces Retirement From ODIs, Will Play Last Match On Tuesday

Ben Stokes says he will play his last ODI game against South Africa on Tuesday

In a surprising decision, star England all-rounder Ben Stokes on Monday announced that he will be retiring from ODI cricket and will be playing his last 50-over format game on Tuesday against South Africa in Durham. The all-rounder made the announcement on his Twitter account along with an image of him holding the World Cup trophy and a lengthy statement. pic.twitter.com/xTS5oNfN2j

"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," said Stokes in the official statement.

"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% 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 added.

Further in his statement, Stokes said: "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.