FORMER England captain Nasser Hussain said Ben Stokes’s decision to retire from ODI cricket is ‘disappointing’ to say the least and shocking at the same time.

Stokes, 31, said on Monday that he would be retiring from the 50-over format of the game after the ODI series opener between England and South Africa on Tuesday, July 19.

Stokes’s decision to give up ODIs 3 years after he played a pivotal role in helping England win the ODI World Cup helped raise quite a few eyebrows. However, the England all-rounder, who recently took over as the Test captain from Joe Root, conceded that he was not being able to give his 100 percent to the team in ODI cricket and playing all 3 formats of the game amid a busy schedule is “unsustainable” for him.

Stokes’s decision to retire from ODIs comes at a time when questions are being asked of the need for bilateral ODI cricket. Notably, England are one of the busiest teams in international cricket. The 2019 World Cup winners are scheduled to play 138 bilateral matches, including 44 ODIs between 2023 and 2027.