"It should definitely be a bit of a wake-up call” - Jos Buttler on Ben Stokes’ ODI retirement due to relentless schedule
England's white-ball captain Jos Buttler reckons that Ben Stokes' premature retirement from ODI cricket due to excessive workload should serve as a "wake-up call" for those running the sport.
Stokes, 31, shocked world cricket on Monday (July 18) when he announced that he had decided to quit ODIs as playing all formats had been "unsustainable" for him given the jam-packed calendar.
The all-rounder played his last ODI match for England against South Africa at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday (July 19). It was not a memorable farewell for the star cricketer in the format as he failed to shine with both the bat and ball. He went wicketless in five overs, conceding 44 runs, and was out for just five as England lost the game by 62 runs.
Speaking after the game, Buttler opened up on Stokes’ decision to quit ODIs and admitted:
"It should definitely be a bit of a wake-up call. Absolutely. Especially with the magnitude of the player.”
Praising the versatile cricketer, who played a stellar role in England’s 2019 ODI World Cup triumph, Buttler added:
"Ben's one of the most recognisable players in world cricket, someone everyone wants to see play in every format. I'm sure there's more to it than the schedules etc but I think in international cricket you always want your best players playing if possible.”
Looking at the positive side of things, the keeper-batter asserted that quitting ODIs could allow Stokes to extend his Test career, a format in which he recently took over as captain. Buttler explained:
"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."
The runs, wickets and catches were special 👏
But more than anything, cricket is about the memories you make ❤️
An England great 👑 https://t.co/y660cCCeDE
The England all-rounder ended his ODI career with 2924 runs and 74 wickets in 105 matches.
“We are not cars. You can't just fill us up” - Ben Stokes on ODI retirement
Ahead of his last ODI game for England, Stokes opened up on how the crammed cricketing calendar is having a negative impact on players.
Speaking on BBC’s Test Match Special, he lamented:
"We are not cars. You can't just fill us up and we'll go out there and be ready to be fuelled up again. We had a Test series and then the one-day team had a series going on at the same time - that was a bit silly.”
Elaborating on the number of matches that are being held, he opined:
"I just feel like there is too much cricket rammed in for people to play all three formats now. It is a lot harder than it used to be. I look back to when I used to do all three and it didn't feel like it was as jam-packed and all that.
"Obviously you want to play as much cricket as you possibly can but when it is making you feel tired, sore and you've got to look towards five or six months down the road for what you're doing in the here and now it is probably not the best thing.”
An inspiration. A legend. A champion.
Thank you for everything, @benstokes38 ❤️ https://t.co/OD1gc5OnxD
Stokes had a disappointing ODI series against India in which he scored only 48 runs in three matches and bowled just three overs.