Ben Stokes to retire from one-day cricket to focus on England Test captaincy

Ben Stokes has announced his retirement from one-day cricket to focus on his role as England Test captain, with Tuesday’s clash against South Africa at Durham to be his last match.

The all-rounder has amassed 104 ODI matches for England, with the highlight being his player-of-the-match performance at Lord's to help his country win their first World Cup title in 2019. Stokes hit an unbeaten 84 to help send the match into a Super Over against New Zealand.

"This has been an incredibly tough decision to make," said the 31-year-old in a statement released on Monday. "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 per cent 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. 

"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. 

"I have loved all 104 games I have played so far, I’ve got one more, and it feels amazing to be