Ben Stokes announces ODI retirement: 'Selfless decision', Twitterati react to England all-rounder's 50-over retirement

In a breaking development, England all-rounder Ben Stokes announced on Monday that he would be retiring from One-Day Internationals (ODI) following the first ODI against South Africa on Tuesday.

“I will play my last game for England in ODI cricket on Tuesday in Durham,” Stokes said in a statement uploaded on his Twitter handle.

“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.

“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,” he continued in his statement.

The 31-year-old Stokes has played 104 ODIs for England, and the ODI against South Africa on Tuesday will be his 105th in the format. Stokes has amassed 2919 runs and taken 74 wickets in the format.

Stokes will get the chance to impress once more in Durham’s Chester-le-Street, his home ground since Stokes has played county cricket for Durham.

Here’s how Twitterati reacted to Stokes’ retirement from ODIs:

Ben Stokes retires from ODI cricket.

So he won't be there for England's World Cup defence in 2023, and the last World Cup match he'll have played will be the 2019 World Cup final.

(Unless he can be cajoled back just for the 2023 tournament of course) https://t.co/c6S289mfLx

— Saurabh Somani (@saurabh_42) July 18, 2022

There's going to be a lot of "hmmm, and yet you participate in society!" if/when Stokes plays IPL/the Hundred/any other cricket in the future. The international schedule is absurd & there will be more like this coming. https://t.co/hgvCIRq8P7

— Nick Miller (@NickMiller79) July 18, 2022

Something had to go… 😞 #lottacricketnow 😙🤸🏽🚀 https://t.co/pC7kVSanYo

— Danny Morrison (@SteelyDan66) July 18, 2022

I really do believe this is going to become a trend with top men players opting for short leagues, and Tests, if their country pays them well enough.. which doesn’t apply to all though… https://t.co/PBmvsNMsYN

— Alison Mitchell (@AlisonMitchell) July 18, 2022

GOAT 🐐

Huge congratulations to you & your family 👏🏽👏🏽

Can’t wait to see you take the Test team to great heights 👊🏽 https://t.co/tZc5fU3oAG

— Azeem Rafiq (@AzeemRafiq30) July 18, 2022

A great player retiring#benstokes https://t.co/proeE08uep

— Gaurav Agrawal (@GauravAgrawaal) July 18, 2022

From featuring in an ICC Men's U19 Cricket World Cup in 2010 to becoming an ICC Men's @cricketworldcup champion in 2019 🏆

A special ODI player, and what a career!

Thank you, @benstokes38! pic.twitter.com/uIFjafwEAe

— ICC (@ICC) July 18, 2022

Stokes has made a selfless decision for the benefit of the England team. #BenStokes #ENGvsSA #eng

— Monty Panesar (@zkp_scroll) July 18, 2022

11 years and countless ODI memories ❤️

Thank you, @benstokes38 👏 pic.twitter.com/TroqvkZwsw

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 18, 2022

Ben Stokes: "three formats is unsustainable right now"

Cricket administrators, listen https://t.co/wXq6jXlvKL

— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) July 18, 2022