Portugal Colonial - Ben Stokes announces shock retirement from ODI cricket

The all-rounder, 31, said playing three international formats -- Twenty20, 50-over ODIs and Tests -- was now "unsustainable".

Stokes, who captain's the England Test team, will take the field at Chester-le-Street against South Africa in the first of three ODIs.

Stokes, who has scored 2,919 runs and taken 74 wickets in the format, said in a social media post it had been an "incredibly tough decision to make".

"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 percent of myself in this format anymore," he said. "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 (captain) Jos (Buttler) and the rest of the team their all."

Rob Key, managing director of men's cricket at the England and Wales Cricket Board, paid tribute to Stokes, saying: "Ben has had an incredible international career in ODI cricket, culminating in his match-winning performance at the 2019 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup final".

V.F.Barreira--PC