 The ODI chapter of England’s ODI World Cup-winning hero Ben Stokes has finally ended. He suddenly announced his retirement on Monday, July 18. However, he informed that he will play his last match at the Riverside Ground in Chester Lee Street where he will bid to ODI cricket in front of the audience in his area and his wish was fulfilled. He played his last match against South Africa on Tuesday, July 19. England started fielding after losing the toss. Stokes was given a ‘Guard of Honor’ as he entered the field. The audience of the stadium applauded him together. Stokes mentioned “not taking pressure” as the reason for this retirement announcement. It is becoming difficult for this all-rounder to continue ODIs with Tests and T20s. He said this once more before entering the field against South Africa. Stokes said, “We are not a car that just fills up with petrol and starts moving. The body is under pressure in one match after another.” Stokes got the captaincy of Test cricket a few days ago. He wants to concentrate mainly on the Test format without taking extra pressure. He said, “It is difficult for me to manage the busy schedule these days. If you wear the English jersey, you have to give 100 percent and I can’t do that. A cricketer who wants to give his best for England, I am withholding this place. After thinking a lot, I found it difficult for me to play in all three formats. At that time, I thought that I would play white ball cricket in one of the formats. But I still haven't decided which one to play. After playing the first one-day match against India, I felt that I have to move from this.” 31-year-old Stokes wants to play Test cricket for a long time. Test cricket is a matter of prestige for the English. That’s why Stokes is taking the pressure off himself. Stokes also added, “I am now the captain of the Test team. I have to look at my body, I want to play for a long time. I want to play 140 to 150 Tests for England. When I look back on this decision when I reach the age of 35-36, then I will feel that I made the right decision.”DailyBangladesh/AS Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com/ |
