Nasser Hussain: Ben Stokes’ ODI retirement for England is a ‘huge surprise’ | Cricket News

After Ben Stokes announced his retirement from One Day International cricket, sky sports‘ Nasser Hussain talks about his shock at the decision and examines the contributing factors, including a ‘crazy’ cricket schedule for players who feature in all three formats…

It was a surprise, to be honest.

You thought he would be taken care of, in terms of rest from various tournaments and white ball formats – he had already announced he was going to miss the white ball series and The Hundred. To flip the 50-plus-year-old cricket completely on its head is a huge surprise.

I guess it’s the calendar. The cricket program is absolutely crazy right now.

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Former England cricketer Michael Atherton says England will miss Ben Stokes’ competitiveness and what it could mean for other players

If you only play in one format – say Test matches – that’s fine. But if you’re a multi-format, multi-dimensional player, and even a test match captain like Stokes, who is 100% dedicated to your job on and off the pitch, something will have to give way eventually.

For Ben it’s cricket at 50 which is such a shame as he gave us and the English fans their happiest day for a very long time in 2019, a day we will never forget with this victory in the World Cup final.

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Ben Stokes was instrumental as England beat New Zealand in an incredible 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup final.

In a battle, if you ask me a cricketer on the English side who’s willing to do it in a tough situation, who’s a winner – you can’t teach that, you weren’t born with it – Stokes has that and he has that in abundance.

This World Cup final, if there’s one cricketer you want to fight at the end, it’s Ben Stokes. The same with the Ashes Test match at Headingley that same summer.

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The ashes of 2019 had appeared but Ben Stokes then stepped up a superb century at Headingley to keep the battle for the urn alive.

He’s a very bright and smart cricketer, he’s a winner and he’s a fighter.

“The cricket calendar is madness for the players”

This is disappointing news to say the least, but it is a reflection of the current cricket schedule. This is madness for gamers.

If the ICC continues to hold ICC events and the individual councils continue to fill the gaps with as much cricket as possible, these cricketers will eventually say I’m done.

Stokes is made with a 31-year-old format, which can’t be true, really. The calendar is to be reviewed, it’s a bit of a joke at the moment.

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Former England Women’s captain Charlotte Edwards believes it’s a good time for Ben Stokes to step down from ODI cricket so he can fully focus on the Test captaincy.

It seems over 50 cricket is the one everyone watches, because everyone loves Test match cricket and everyone loves T20 cricket.

The IPL is getting a bigger window, so it will last even longer and players will opt out. South Africa have also pulled out of an upcoming bilateral series in white-ball cricket that could cost them World Cup qualification, and that’s a big deal.

Could England have convinced him to stay?

Maybe you could tell Stokes, “just take the time off you need.” If you have to miss bilateral 50+ tournaments, that’s fine, we understand your workload, but we’d still like to consider you for the big world events.” He is such a player, and so important.

Ben Stokes helped England win the 2019 Cricket World Cup final on home soil

I think Ben doesn’t like to hold people back. He said in his statement that he didn’t want to take the place of a teammate, and I guess he wouldn’t like the reverse where a teammate played the whole way through and then suddenly he walks around for an ICC event.

Anyone who has seen Ben Stokes will see that he does everything 100%. He hasn’t made a lot of balls this summer, and I think his body may be failing him a bit.

Also, the pressure of being a test captain is immense. But it’s the best job in the world and Stokes has won four out of four.

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Ben Stokes gives his reaction to England’s stunning victory over India in the fifth Test, calling his first five weeks as Test captain “the most fun” he has had in his career.

You have to remember that Ben, before taking the job, had to take a break from playing for his mental well-being. Even when you win, there are so many things that fall on you when you become captain, and he knows there will be tougher times ahead.

It’s a good start, and we all want it to continue but there will be a drop in form, there will be problems within the team, there will be problems all of which will end up at the captain’s door.

half the reasons [for his retirement] will be physical, and half will be mental, and mental in Ben’s case is the fact that he can’t do things 70%, 80%.

In a way, I respect him a lot for making that decision because that’s how you want every English cricketer to look, giving it his all every day.

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Ben Stokes spoke to former captain Eoin Morgan about his memories of winning the World Cup with England against New Zealand in 2019.

“Stokes is a truly remarkable cricketer”

Key Rob [England’s managing directory of men’s cricket] allegedly had this discussion with Stokes at the time they met.

They met in Durham before it was even announced [as captain]he went to sit with Ben for ages, found out where Ben was mentally and physically, and allegedly mapped out the road ahead.

Sometimes it hits you. He might just hit it at the end of the game [against India]; he’s in the locker room, he’s physically and mentally exhausted and he’s watching his schedule roll in and he’s watching what he has to do with this test match squad.

England v South Africa

July 19, 2022, 12:30 p.m.

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I’m sure Key would have had conversations with Stokes to try and do it a different way, but ultimately it’s Stokes’ decision.

One thing I know is that in Durham it will be an incredibly emotional day.

He’s not going to just hang around and take a lap of honor, that’s for sure. It will be the same Ben Stokes we have seen for 104 One-Day Internationals. He won’t want to do everything for him.

But, the local boy, in the first game of the series against South Africa, his last game, it will be a sold out crowd and they will all be on their feet for Ben because he is a truly outstanding cricketer.

Watch Ben Stokes’ final ODI match for England, against South Africa at Emirates Riverside in Durham, live on Sky Sports Cricket on Tuesday, from 12.30pm.