NEW DELHI: Former England captain Andrew Strauss he questioned the timing of Ben Stokesannounced his retirement, saying it had become a “huge distraction” for England during the deciding test against New Zealand.Stokes announced his retirement from international cricket during the final Test at Trent Bridge, informing his teammates on the morning of Day 4. The news was announced later in the afternoon while he was bowling. As soon as the announcement was made, the England captain received a standing ovation from the crowd and responded by taking a wicket with the next ball.However, Strauss felt that the announcement should have been made before or after the match.
“A more sensitive approach”
While praising Stokes for all he has achieved, Strauss said the focus during a Test match should be on the team.“Everyone has the right to hit on their own terms, and no one has earned that more than Ben, but announcing before or after the game seems a more sensible approach. When you are in the middle of a match, the only thing that matters is the performance of the team,” said Strauss on Fox Sports.With the three-match series level at 1-1, England were battling to avoid a series defeat against New Zealand when the announcement was made.Strauss admitted that he was not happy with how everything turned out.“It seems like a big distraction for a team struggling to avoid a series defeat, and the cricket in the last session had a very ‘end of term’ feel to it.”
One of the greatest all-rounders of Test cricket
Stokes retires after an outstanding international career across all three formats.In 122 Tests, he scored 7,273 runs at an average of 34.46, including 14 centuries, while also taking 252 wickets at an average of 30.98, with six five-wicket hauls.In 114 ODIs, he made 3,463 runs at an average of 41.22, scoring five hundreds and claiming 74 wickets.He also represented England in 43 T20Is, scoring 585 runs and taking 26 wickets.
Elite company with Jacques Kallis
Stokes leaves the game with several notable memories.He is only the second cricketer in test history to achieve the rare double of over 7,000 runs and 250 wickets. The only other player to reach the milestone is South African legend Jacques Kallis, who finished with 13,289 runs and 292 wickets.
It dominates India, Australia and the West Indies
Stokes has also had tremendous success against some of the strongest teams in the world.Against India, I scored 1,920 test runs and took 59 wickets.Against Australia, I amassed 1,746 runs and claimed 56 wickets.He also recorded 1,339 runs and 43 wickets against West Indies.Only three other legendary all-rounders – Gary Sobers, Kapil Dev and Jacques Kallis – have managed the feat of scoring 1,000 runs and taking 40 wickets against three different opponents.
The king of test six
Stokes also rewrote the record books with his aggressive batting.His 138 sixes are the most by any batsman in Test cricket, making him one of only three players to hit 100 or more sixes in the format.Of those 138 maximums, 39 came against Australia, the highest number of Test sixes hit by any player against a single opposition.Despite the debate over the timing of his retirement announcement, Stokes will go down as one of England’s greatest all-rounders and one of the best match-winners the game has produced.