England test cricket captain Ben Stokes will retire from one-day internationals after Tuesday’s match with South Africa, ending an ODI career which peaked with winning the World Cup in 2019. Stokes said Monday he remains fully committed to Twenty20 internationals as well as the test captaincy, but that he needed a break from the punishing schedule. “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% of myself in this format anymore. The England shirt deserves nothing less from anyone who wears it,” Stokes said in a statement. Also read: Stokes chosen as England test captain “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 (England ODI captain) Jos (Buttler) and the rest of the team their all.” The match against South Africa will be Stokes’ 105th ODI for England and comes at the Riverside ground at Chester-le-Street, the home of Stokes’ county team Durham. Stokes’ defining performance in ODIs came in the 2019 World Cup final, when he scored 84 not out as England tied New Zealand’s score and then eight more runs in the deciding super over. Also read: Ben Stokes take 'indefinite break' from all cricket Since taking over the test captaincy in April, Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum have transformed the team with an aggressive, big-hitting style more reminiscent of ODI and T20 cricket than the often-sedate five-day format

Ben Stokes was appointed as captain of England’s test cricket team on Thursday, taking on the high-pressure role just a few months after returning from a long spell away from the game to protect his mental health. The allrounder was the only credible option to replace Joe Root, who quit his position — which he had held for five years — two weeks ago with England having only won one of its last 17 test matches. It is the first big decision by Rob Key, the former England batsman who was recently hired as managing director of men’s cricket in England in a turbulent period for the national team that is currently without a head coach. Key said he was sure Stokes was ready to shoulder the burden of the captaincy despite missing most of 2021 to focus on his well-being and also recover from two finger operations. It could mean Stokes plays fewer one-day and Twenty20 internationals, though. “It’s just something we’ve got to do — we’ve got to manage that load, we have to prioritize at times where we think he needs to be playing. At the moment, that’s going to be test cricket,” Key said. “I don’t think we have to overthink this. We have to make sure he is in a good frame of mind, his body is in good shape, and then we can plan accordingly.” While announcing Stokes’ new role, Key also said veteran fast bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad — the top two wicket-takers in England’s test history — would also be available again after being controversially left out of the recent West Indies tour. Read: IPL 2022: Mustafizur’s Delhi seek win against Kolkata in the race for top four finish England plays test series against New Zealand and South Africa this summer, and also completes the series against India that was cut short last year with India 2-1 ahead with one test remaining. “Before it got announced I was doing this job, I rang them up and said, ‘In my opinion you’re both available for selection,’” Key said of the 35-year-old Broad and the 39-year-old Anderson. “I can’t promise you you’re going to play but you are just available for selection. “Ben Stokes was very clear on the fact that he wants Jimmy and Broady to come back in. It will purely be done on what’s the best XI to win that first test match. Nothing more, nothing less. If they are in that, which there’s every chance they will be because they are two great bowlers, then they play.” Key said new head coaches would soon be hired to lead the men’s test and limited-overs teams, insisting the same person cannot handle both jobs. “It’s just become a job that has become near-impossible for one coach to do,” Key said. “The amount of cricket we play, with all the COVID catch-up, all that stuff, you’re going to have times where you literally would be jumping on a plane to the other side of the world to coach a different format.” Getting rid of COVID bubbles for teams is expected to further ease the mental burden on players and coach staff. That should help Stokes, one of the world’s best cricketers in all formats, as he settles back into the swing of a hectic cricket schedule. “He cares about the people around him, he has understanding for why people struggle, he has understanding for why people might not be feeling right,” Key said. “All those traits, along with a very good cricket brain, make him the standout choice.” Read: Nayeem added to Test squad to replace injured Mehidy Stokes said Root will “continue to be a key ally for me” as he takes on the captaincy. “I want to thank Joe for everything he has done for English cricket and for always being a great ambassador for the sport all across the world,” Stokes said. “He has been a massive part of my development as a leader in the dressing room.”