Former England captain believes Ben Stokes’ decision to retire from ODIs is a shout to the administrators. Stokes decided to call it a day from the 50-overs version on Monday after he admitted that playing in all three formats were unsustainable for him.
The all-rounder is known to give his best but feels he wasn’t able to give his 100% in the ODI format due to the tight schedule and wasn’t doing justice for the team.
It is well known that England has had a busy schedule and the players are feeling the brunt of it. England is scheduled to compete in 42 Tests, 44 ODIs, and 52 T20Is in the 2023-2027 ICC Future Tour Programme (FTP) schedule.
Meanwhile, Ben Stokes didn’t have the best farewell as England lost against South Africa at the Chester-le-Street by 62 runs on Tuesday. Stokes conceded 44 runs in the five overs he bowled and then could only manage five runs with the bat.
Nasser Hussain wrote in a column for Daily Mail: “His decision was something of a shout to the administrators because at the age of 31 someone like him shouldn’t have to retire from a certain format.”
Hussain added: “He called out the time earlier this year when England were playing Ashes cricket in Australia at the same time as a white-ball side was on the other side of the world, playing T20 against West Indies.”
Former England captain reckons Test and T20 formats are overlapping the ODI version of the game. A lot of revenue is generated by T20 leagues whereas Test cricket has always had a separate fan base.
“Twenty20 is lucrative, leads to opportunities with franchises and is short and sharp while Test match cricket is something you love and hate in equal measure because of what it takes out of you. It is a mental battle that tests you to the absolute limits.”
Hussain added that Stokes is not a man driven by money as the all-rounder had also decided to pull out of the IPL 2022. Earlier, Stokes had taken a break from the game due to mental health.
“Stokes is not a man driven by money – hence he skipped the Indian Premier League this year, and will perhaps do so next. Every time he goes onto that field, he wants to be 100% committed, not 80% – and that is what makes him the player he is.”
