Buttler: We'll miss Stokes, he's a 'once-in-a-generation player'

England white-ball captain Jos Buttler hailed Ben Stokes as a "fantastic ambassador" and a "once-in-a-generation player" after his retirement from one-day international cricket.

Stokes, 31, ended his 105-match ODI career at his home ground in Durham on Tuesday and was given a terrific ovation after being dismissed for five against South Africa.

The all-rounder - who said a catalyst for his retirement was the "unsustainable" nature of a "jam-packed" cricketing calendar - scored 2,924 runs in ODI cricket, including three hundreds, and took 74 wickets with a best of 5-61 against Australia in September 2013.

Stokes' most memorable game in the format was the 2019 World Cup Final against New Zealand at Lord's when he hit an unbeaten 84 in a match England went on to win on boundary countback after a Super Over.

Speaking after England's 62-run defeat at Chester-le-Street, Buttler said of Stokes: "From myself and all England fans, we want to say thank you for everything he has done in this format of the game.

"Three years ago [the 2019 World Cup final] will live long in the memory but every day he turns up, whether that be for training or in a match, he puts in 100 per cent. He has been a fantastic ambassador for us in ODI cricket.

"We will miss him and it's bittersweet as an England fan. There's a bit of sadness that Ben is no longer available in this form of the game but our loss in ODI cricket is certainly going to be England's gain in Test cricket.

"That's his favoured format and his priority, especially now he's captain, and I'm sure it will give him much more longevity in the purest form of the game.

"People who play like Ben are once-in-a-generation players, so it's a good challenge for us [as an ODI side] to work out our